Bhubaneswar: The rift between the Governing BJD and senior MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik widened with a fresh war of words between BJD General Secretary and Minister Pratap Keshari Deb and Patnaik on Saturday.
After attacks by former Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo and Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Minister Pratap Kesari Deb once again alleged that Soumya is blackmailing the party.
Speaking to the media persons here on Saturday, Shri Deb said everyone has the right to express his or her own views in a democracy. However, when someone is functioning within a party after being elected as an MLA on its ticket, he needs to abide by the organisational discipline, he said.
“Remaining in the party, if you criticize the party, CMO, its leadership and policy through articles and editorials, it can only be described as a blackmailing tactic,” the Minister said.
When asked why the BJD is not taking any action against Shri Patnaik, he said, Soumya is an educated and knowledgeable person and he should know what he is supposed to do. If Soumya Patnaik thinks everything is wrong in the party and the government, he should resign, he said.
If he wants to criticize, he should first resign from his post and party and then do so, Minister Shri Deb said.
When the Chief Minister has clarified about sending the 5T Secretary on visits to districts, there should not be any confusion and no question of criticizing, he added.
“To target the Chief Minister’s Office, even after so much clarification is not justified. If a person goes out of the party forum to criticise the party on his own, then it will be termed as blackmailing,” the BJD leader said.
Soumya Patnaik too strongly reacted to the statement made by the senior Minister.
Stating that he loves BJD which is very strong, Shri Patnaik said it is his duty to point out its weakness so that corrective steps can be taken. “I am unable to understand why BJD leaders are scared of my writings. The party is so strong and popular,” he said.
Shri Patnaik said that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik thinks that all his Ministers are incapable for which he gets his work done by the 5T Secretary. Is the BJD not having any leaders to run the party? he asked.
“I am openly saying that 5T Secretary cannot do politics while being a Secretary. As per my sources, BJD workers at the grassroots level support my statement. However, if some people with a vested interest will run the party in the name of CM, it is not acceptable,” he said.
On Shri Deb’s appeal to quit the party, Shri Patnaik sought to know as to why he should resign and said the party has the right to take action against him.
Meanwhile, several BJP and Congress leaders came in support of Soumya Patnaik for his explosive statements against the party leadership.
Senior BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi said Shri Patnaik has the courage to raise his voice at a time when all BJD leaders are behaving like helpless people.
“Instead of attacking Shri Patnaik, the BJD leaders including Ministers and MLAs must learn how to maintain self-respect from the legislator, who is highly educated and experienced,” she said.
Congress spokesperson Arya Kumar Gyanendra said Soumya Babu never runs after any post. Had it been the case, he would have got everything during Janaki Babu’s period, the Congress leader said.