BHUBANESWAR: The 73rd State-level Vana Mahotsav celebrations on Thursday witnessed high political drama with BJP workers staging a demonstration outside the high school in Baramunda, protesting against the exclusion of local MP Aparajita Sarangi from the function.
The official function looked like a political fight between the ruling BJD and BJP as Public Enterprise Minister Ashok Panda and two other legislators from the Capital city, Sushant Rout and Anant Narayan Jena reached the venue in procession.
A large number of BJP workers led by party corporator of ward number 50, Ramchandra Ranasingh staged dharna outside the venue wearing black badges even as the function was going on inside. The local corporator was also not invited to the function.
There was heated exchanges between Sarangi and Panda over the exclusion of the MP from the function. Sarangi said this is not for the first time that she was not invited to functions held in her constituency.
Stating that she was also not invited to the function celebrating the Capital formation day, Sarangi said she had written a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard. She, however, said that former Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro had disapproved of her exclusion from the function then.
Stating that the MP and the corporator have been elected and are not here because of anybody's mercy, Sarangi said by not inviting them to a function held in their area is an insult to democratic values. "It reflects the insecurity, narrow mindedness and arrogance of the government," she added.
When asked the minister could not give a clear answer as to why the Bhubaneswar MP was not invited to the function. Panda gave example of earlier instances when he was not invited to functions of the Palashpalli and Kalinga Nagar central schools which came under his constituency.
The Chief Minister attended the function virtually and advised the students to plant trees to protect environment. He said that on the occasion of the Vana Mahotsav, the government has decided to provide 5 crore saplings to further enrich the environment.
Forest and Environment minister Pradip Amat, Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das and senior forest department officials attended the function.