Expelled BJD MLA Soumya Patnaik launches veiled attack on Odisha govt

Soumya Ranja Patnaik said though there have been a lot of work in Odisha, development in the name of roads and buildings is not enough

Published on: Jan 3, 2024, 17:59:49 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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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.

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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