Unidentified men vandalised the statue of former chief minister Biju Patnaik at Umar village in Cuttack on Tuesday, just a day before the leader’s 109th birth anniversary.
The incident has snowballed into a controversy as it came within hours of the Mohan Charan Majhi-led government announcing that Biju babu’s birth anniversary will be delinked from Panchayati Raj Diwas celebration.
While paying tributes to his father on his birth anniversary on Wednesday, Naveen said: “You can change the names of awards, deface his statues, change the dates, but you can not take away the love and affection that people of Odisha have for Biju Babu. He lives in people’s hearts. How will you change that?”
“It is very unfortunate that just after coming to power in Odisha, the BJP government tried to change the name of the Biju Krida Puraskar. Faced with strong protests from people, they were forced to backtrack on their decision,” Naveen added.
The former chief minister said: “No action has been taken by the government to punish the culprits (for the vandalism)...For more than 30 years, since 1993, March 5 has been observed in Odisha as Panchayati Raj Diwas. What is the reason for such a decision?”
“You have decided to shift the date for Panchayati Raj Diwas in an attempt to erase the legacy of Biju Patnaik. Can you close the Paradip port? Can you close the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Sunabeda? Can you close NTPC in Talcher? Can you close OUAT and NIT, Rourkela? Can you deny the reservation for women in Panchayat bodies as Biju babu started it?”
“Now, they are trying to change the name of Biju Patnaik International Airport. Can you erase the history that Biju babu was a freedom fighter and was in jail for India’s independence? This speaks of immature politics and small mindedness,” Naveen added.