ROURKELA: Rourkela youth Muktikanta Biswal reached the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in New Delhi on Wednesday on the 71st day of his journey on foot and sought appointment to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Eldest among four siblings and son of an idol-maker, Muktikanta had left Rourkela on April 16 on foot to meet the Prime Minister to remind him of his promises made to the steel city residents, including upgradation of the RSP-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH) and construction of second Brahmani bridge.
Muktikanta said he met Union Tribal Affairs Minister and Sundargarh Lok Sabha member Jual Oram and requested an audience with the Prime Minister. The youngster said Oram refused to help him describing his visit as politically motivated.
Muktikanta said he then applied at the PMO and officials there said it may take at least 15 days to meet the Prime Minister. He said its not possible for him to wait for so long and requested the PMO officials to arrange his meeting with the Prime Minister in three days or else he would resort to agitation.
Oram was not available for comment. But AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s two tweets on Muktikanta, including the one with a video clip asking for donation for the IGH project, had irked the BJP leadership. Rahul’s tweets also seemed to have taken away the sheen from the audacious and difficult journey of the youth for a noble cause.
Muktikanta’s friend and convenor of Juba Jagriti Manch Gopal Jena said after covering 1,538 km in 70 days, Muktikanta reached Delhi on Tuesday and went to the PMO on Wednesday. He said before leaving for New Delhi, Muktikanta practised walking long distances and also consulted doctors about nutrition and precautionary measures to be adopted during the arduous journey.