Bhubaneswar: In a major controversy, a statue of former Odisha Chief Minister and freedom fighter Biju Patnaik was set ablaze at Patnagarh town in Bolangir district. BJD and some other Opposition parties condemned the incident.
The statue of the legendary leader was set ablaze at Parsuram Square at Brahmapur block under Patnagarh police station in the district today. The exact cause behind this act is yet to be known.
The incident took place two days before Biju Patnaik’s death anniversary on April 17.
On being informed, Patnagarh police reached the spot and managed to douse the blaze. The fire, however, had already consumed the polythene sheet covering the statue. Police detained a ‘mentally disturbed’ person in connection with the case.
Patnagarh SDPO Sadanand Pujari told mediapersons that the entire incident was caught on CCTV camera. “Sahu is alleged to have done this but he is mentally unsound. The investigation, so far, has found no political link behind the incident. Probe is on,” he added.
Expressing deep sorrow over the unfortunate incident, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that the person involved in this act must certainly be a despicable individual with a sick mentality. He also directed DGP Y B Khurania to take stringent action against the accused person involved in such an irresponsible act.
While directing the top cop to thoroughly investigate the incident, Shri Majhi also hinted to find out whether there was any conspiracy behind this act.
The Chief Minister said that the State government believes in respecting all the sons of the state and is taking all steps to show respect. Expressing that he personally has deep respect for Biju Patnaik, he said that recently on March 5, Biju Babu’s birth anniversary was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the state level and his death anniversary will also be celebrated on April 17.
Meanwhile, politics hots up over the incident. Several heavyweight BJD leaders including Ashok Panda, Pramila Mallik, Debi Prasad Mishra, Anant Narayan Jena, Santrupt Misra, Bhrugu Baxipatra and Pratap Jena along with a score of party workers staged a protest in front of the statue of Biju Patnaik at the Bhubaneswar airport square.
Senior BJD leader Pramila Mallik criticised the State Government for growing attacks on Biju Patnaik’s statue in different places.
“It is not only that the Biju Patnaik’s statue was set on fire, but also setting Odisha’s pride ablaze. No one will support this kind of vandalism,” said senior MLA and BJD leader Prasanna Acharya.
BJD leader Sanjay Das Barma said such incidents are taking place after the state’s BJP government stopped observing Panchayati Raj Day on Biju Patnaik’s birthday on March 5.
This is the third such incident in the recent past. In March, miscreants vandalised a statue of Biju Patnaik in the Mahanga area of Cuttack district.
In another instance, the colour of Biju Patnaik’s statue was also changed in Cuttack city last month. The Bolangir incident is the third such incident in the series, a BJD leader said.