BHUBANESWAR: Police on Saturday detained five leaders of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) for trying to enter Naveen Nivas, residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, to teach him Odia language.
The Student Congress leaders, led by State unit president Itish Pradhan, demonstrated in front of the Naveen Nivas protesting the Chief Minister’s alleged lack of knowledge in Odia language.
They marched to the Chief Minister’s residence holding Odia language primer ‘Chhabila Madhu Barnabodha’, chalk, duster, pen, handwriting pads, and other stuff.
Pradhan said the NSUI will continue the agitation till it is successful in teaching Odia to the Chief Minister. “It is a disgrace that even after 16 years, the Chief Minister is not able to speak in Odia,” Pradhan said and criticised the Government for not announcing Odia as the official language of the State.
Student Congress workers had clashed with the police on Friday while taking out a rally on the occasion of Utkal Divas.