SAMBALPUR: Union Education Minister and BJP’s candidate from Sambalpur Parliamentary constituency Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday took Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik head on, issuing a point-by-point rebuttal to the latter’s claims in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Pradhan said Naveen’s video in reaction to PM Modi’s speeches only displayed his ignorance on key issues such as his claim that the Centre sat on the state’s proposal seeking classical status to Odissi music. There is no such system to accord classical status to music. On the other hand, Odia language and Odissi dance have been accorded classical tag.
“The Sangeet Natak Akademi had made it amply clear that there is no such provision in the country under which Odissi music can be accorded classical status. But the CM insists on writing letters on such non-existent subjects to score political mileage,” the union minister said, addressing mediapersons here.
He charged that Naveen has been talking about ‘Odia Asmita’ but the BJD government did precious little when the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) sought a patch of land in Odisha to establish a centre after Odia was granted classical language status in 2014. Five years later, the state allotted a building, not land, on which the Centre of Excellence for Classical Odia began to operate, he said.
Pradhan said Naveen is surrounded by a coterie of non-Odia officers who keep feeding him factually incorrect things. The senior BJP leader reminded the CM that after Odia was accorded classical language status, a grant of Rs 30 crore was provided by the Centre for promotion of Odia language. The UGC brought out engineering text books in Odia language too and Naveen was part of the event where the books were released.
He said Odisha Research Centre has been established for advanced research on Odia identity and the art, culture, history and politics of Odisha. “Books have been made available in the Desiya, Kui, Gadaba, Juang and Saura dialects. The Central government is developing language-based education but Naveen’s aides have not informed him about our commitment towards Odia language,” he added.
Pradhan also informed that on April 1, 2015, the Prime Minister came to Rourkela to celebrate Utkal Divas and the same year, a grant of Rs 50 crore from the Centre was provided for ‘Nabakalebara’ of Srimandir. “The Modi government has honoured 49 people from Odisha with the Padma award for their contribution to the state in diverse fields. It is sad that instead of thanking the Prime Minister, the CM is abusing him,” said Pradhan who also refuted Naveen’s claims on MSP for paddy and coal royalty.