Nearly three months after he quit the post of editor of leading Odia daily Sambad, expelled Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik on Wednesday launched a veiled attack on the Odisha government questioning if development was all about construction of roads and buildings.
Talking to reporters during the birth anniversary celebration of former chief minister JB Patnaik in Khordha, Patnaik said though there have been a lot of work in Odisha, development in the name of roads and buildings is not enough. “The development of personality and language is also an important aspect of development. There is a dearth of self-respect among Odias. The Odia pride is missing among the youths as they are bowing down before leaders,” said Patnaik.
Patnaik said he may not contest the upcoming assembly election. “I have not decided whether to contest polls in 2024. Perhaps I may not contest as I have no party and newspaper now. I have decided to quit the editor post after seeing the nature of journalism. Who will tolerate it if an FIR is lodged over fake issues,” he said.
In September last year, Patnaik was first removed from the post of vice-president of the BJD and then expelled from the party days after he was booked by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Police over loan worth crores of Rupees taken in the name of more than 300 employees of Sambad allegedly by using fraudulent means and forged documents. EOW claimed that ₹50 crore of loan was fraudulently secured by the media baron between 2018 and 2023 using forgery and coercion. The expulsion came months after Patnaik started attacking chief minister Naveen Patnaik as well as his trusted aide VK Pandianthrough his newspaper coloumns decrying lack of democracy in the party. In one of his front-page editorials in Sambad, he compared the tour expenses of Pandian to all the districts with the Chandrayaan 3 mission.
{{/usCountry}}In September last year, Patnaik was first removed from the post of vice-president of the BJD and then expelled from the party days after he was booked by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Police over loan worth crores of Rupees taken in the name of more than 300 employees of Sambad allegedly by using fraudulent means and forged documents. EOW claimed that ₹50 crore of loan was fraudulently secured by the media baron between 2018 and 2023 using forgery and coercion. The expulsion came months after Patnaik started attacking chief minister Naveen Patnaik as well as his trusted aide VK Pandianthrough his newspaper coloumns decrying lack of democracy in the party. In one of his front-page editorials in Sambad, he compared the tour expenses of Pandian to all the districts with the Chandrayaan 3 mission.
{{/usCountry}}In October last year, Patnaik had stepped down from the newspaper that he founded in 1984 leaving the post for Tanaya Patnaik, his younger daughter.