Bhubaneswar, Jan 13: The war of words between BJD vice-president Damodar Rout and general secretary Debasis Samantray has intensified with latter warning the former of action for anti-party remark.
“Dama Babu had been dropped from Cabinet earlier twice for anti-party activities. The suit may repeat this time if chief minister and party supremo Naveen Patnaik thinks so”, Samantray said adding “he is always going against the party and seems to act like a member of opposition parties”.
When asked about Dama’s anti-party activity, Samantray said “Is the comment on CMC Mayor’s resignation not an anti-party voice?
The excise minister tried to protect himself over alleged anti-party comment. “I had told that the ration card was issued to her (Anita Behera). If she does not deserve, it would be cancelled. She may have quit the post over the matter on moral ground. He (Debasis) may know what is anti-party in it”, Rout said.
The rift between the two leaders have further widened with questions on each other’s seniority within the party being raised. Launching scathing attack on the veteran leader, the Cuttack (Barabati) MLA said “Let him ask, who joined the party first? I joined BJD much before he embraced. During that time, he used to criticise the party with many absurd languages”.
In reply, Rout countered-“I have been with Biju Patnaik since 1973. He came to BJD with Bijay Mohapatra.”
In his retort, Samantaray hit back at Rout over Paradip constituency. “Dama Babu became jealous of my popularity after a grand victory in Paradip municipality. His comment on me opposing Biju Babu clearly proves his mental and physical disorder. Basant Biswal was the minister during Biju Babu’s time and I was a student”.
Rout retaliated that the Cuttack (Barabati MLA) had been opposing Biju Babu till 2000 and after that he became a spokesperson of Biju Patnaik. “He was not in Odisha but in Pondicherry. He knows nothing about Biju Babu”, Rout pointed out.
