JEYPORE: As resentment continues to brew against Jajpur MLA and BJD’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das (Bobby) for his behaviour towards senior BJD leader Rabi Narayan Nanda on the stage during the platinum jubilee celebrations of Vikram Deb (Autonomous) College held on Friday, the former minister rubbished it saying there was nothing humiliating.
On Friday, Das had reportedly pulled the senior leader out of the stage in front of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other dignitaries during the occasion, raising eyebrows among the leaders, audience and the media.
Nanda however clarified that he was just asked to climb down the stage and not ‘pulled’ out as portrayed by the media. “It is our family matter and I consider Bobby my brother then how am I supposed to feel humiliated by this?” he questioned further informing that he was on stage to greet the chief minister and the media is making an unnecessary controversy out of it.
“This incident will not affect my political career in any way as my people know me well enough,” Nanda said. However, Nanda’s supporters from different blocks of Koraput district, upset with the behaviour meted out to the senior leader, have demanded an immediate apology from Das for his act.
Sources said they are also planning to stage a rally regarding the same once the platinum jubilee celebrations of the college get over. Meanwhile, 5T secretary VK Pandian on Friday evening held two ‘darbars’ in the district to hear the grievances of the people there.
Pandian had arrived with CM Naveen Patnaik to join the platinum jubilee celebrations of VD (Autonomous) College held on Friday but later stayed back to meet the locals and hear their concerns.
He held a public grievance meeting at Bariniput guest house along with other senior officials where over 100 groups including public representatives from different areas of the Jeypore sub-division participated and shared their problems. Later he held another similar meeting at Koraput Circuit House and noted the grievances of the locals there.
He further also inspected the Jhanjabati dam project in Narayanpatana, 5T schools of Aunli in Borigumma, Dandabadi in Narayanpatana, the coffee plantation in Kindiriguda village and reviewed the works of the ground-level staff.