BHUBANESWAR: Lack of control over his tongue has cost senior BJD leader and agriculture minister Damodar Rout his job as chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday dismissed him from the council of ministers for his controversial remarks against the Brahmins.
“I strongly disapprove of anyone who makes derogatory remarks against any caste, creed or religion. I have dismissed Damodar Rout from the council of ministers. A letter has been sent this evening to the Governor to accept this dismissal,” the chief minister said while announcing the dismissal of Rout from the ministry.
Rout has been in the eye of a storm for his ‘beggar’ remarks on Brahmins at the inaugural function of the Malyabanta festival in Malkangiri on December 19. Rout had said in his address at the festival that the tribals never beg. “They (the tribals) would drink water from the springs to survive but would never beg. But Brahmins would beg when the situation arises,” Rout had said, sparking off statewide protests from various organisations.
Members of the Mukti Mandap Pandit Mahasabha at the Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri and the Odisha Vedic Brahmana Parishad held demonstrations against Rout in Puri and burnt his posters on Wednesday and demanded his ouster from the State Cabinet.
Organisations in the state capital and other parts of the state had also strongly protested by burning the effigy of Rout and demanding his ouster from the ministry. Although Rout had apologised for his remarks, he remained adamant initially.
This is not for the first time that Rout has courted controversy for his statements. The state BJP and anganwadi workers were up in arms against him for his derogatory remarks against a senior woman BJP leader and anganwadi workers recently.
Besides, his statement that Jayi Rajaguru was not a freedom fighter had sparked off a controversy in the state and put the ruling BJD in a very embarrassing situation. Rout had even contradicted the chief minister over the issue.