Your political career now has a stigma with the accusation of you watching obscene pictures in the Assembly…

What stigma are you talking about? These are mere allegations. There have been allegations against many stalwarts in the political field cutting across party lines starting from former chief minister Nabakrushna Choudhury, Nandini Satpathy, Biju Patnaik and even the former deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani. 
But people have not rejected them. On my issue, I can say no stigma has been attached to me. These are mere allegations that have no basis at all. It has been politicised to demoralise a fighting MLA.

But didn’t you commit a blunder by watching porn clips in the Assembly? Now there is public outcry against you… 

Who said I had seen pornographic pictures on my mobile phone inside the Assembly? 

I repeat, these are mere allegations to malign me.

But why did you tender an apology publicly on this issue?

Yes, I apologised — not for watching porn but for taking the mobile phone inside the Assembly.

You are maintaining a double standard on this issue. The video clippings show that you were watching something. You had clearly said that since you were a novice in handling the mobile, your finger touched the mobile screen while you were scrolling it and the pictures popped up… 

I am not maintaining double standards. How do you know that I was watching porn clips? These are false allegations against me. As I am raking up the issue of farmers’ suicide and other issues pertaining to the state, an attempt was made to malign me. 

I will fight back. Just tell me what interest will it serve to highlight the deeds of an individual by ignoring the interests of states such as the issue of farmers, unemployment and teachers?

Being the people’s representative, you should behave properly. But you failed to set an ideal before the common people. If you had not visited the porn site earlier, the pictures would not have popped up in your mobile. You must have accessed it earlier on your phone… 

Why are you pointing fingers at me? I was scrolling the mobile not watching porn sites. Who are you to assess me? 
In a democracy, people are there to judge public representatives. They will judge me in the next election. 
Why are you worried? The Speaker has ordered an inquiry and I will present my case there. I repeat, I have not seen any porn pictures.

People from your own constituency have burned your effigies and condemned your action. 

Why don’t you highlight the fact that a large number of women across the state are burning effigies of BJD MLA Pramila Mallik (who raised the matter in the Assembly) and chief minister Naveen Patnaik? 

You are silent when it comes to that.  Just have patience and you will see how I continue to enjoy the confidence of the people. 

The BJD is doing all these things as I am raising various issues related to the style of functioning of the chief minister and the state government. While you are pointing a finger at me, don’t forget that a minister had misbehaved with a lady MLA.

Why are you only pointing fingers at the BJD? Even your party MLA said it would be a serious matter if these allegations were found to be true.

Yes, our party MLA said if the allegation were true. But I repeat, these allegations have no basis. Even the video clippings don’t show that I was watching porn. 

There have been reports that the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) has summoned you on this issue. Are you going to Delhi to present your case? 

The AICC has not summoned me. Besides, if I had committed any crime, I would have gone to Delhi. As I have not made any mistake, why I should go to Delhi? 
Do you think I should go to Delhi and explain that I have been victimised?

We are raising the question as the Congress leaders are in the habit of going to Delhi. Even you, along with some other MLAs, had camped in Delhi when the party was organising the Janajaganra yatra in Odisha to highlight the farmers’ issue.

I was part of a Janajagaran yatra. When Rahul Gandhi had kicked off the padayatra in Bargarh in September, I was there and organised everything. 

Is it necessary to attend all the phases of the agitation? We had gone to Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi to discuss some issues related to the state.

Why didn’t you communicate your Delhi programme to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan and the leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra?

There is no need to communicate everything when you are going to meet your party high command. 
We have that kind of democracy in the party. We are not undemocratic like the BJD.

This is enough indication that the party itself is a divided house. Even senior leader Bhakta Charan Das had expressed his displeasure on the functioning of the party.

In a big party, there are differences of opinion. But we are united when we take up any programme. 
I am not aware of what Bhakta Charan Das said to the media. Please concentrate on propagating the positive things and not the negative ones.

Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati had raised his voice against you in the media on the contentious issue of who should be the chief whip of the party. 

Bahinipati is a good friend of mine. 

On the issue of the chief whip, I just wanted to say that earlier it was decided that Narasingha Mishra would be appointed as the leader of Opposition, Chiranjeev Biswal as the deputy leader and me as chief whip. 
Accordingly, I had occupied the chair meant for the chief whip. But the AICC later communicated that Bahinipati should be the chief whip. We abided by it. The high command’s decision is always binding on us.

You may not agree with me, but it was because of you that the winter session of the Assembly ended 10 days ahead of the scheduled time. 

Why are you blaming me all the time?  The ruling party is in the habit of ending the Assembly session when it faces a tough time and is unable to face the Opposition’s onslaught. This is not the first time the Assembly was adjourned sine-die midway.

Are you diverting from topic?  

Do you think I am a coward and will divert the issue by not answering your questions? 
I am ready to face any question. But the issue is that the government is in the habit of ending an Assembly session when they face issues like farmers’ suicide and mining scam. I am just an individual. Was it necessary for the ruling party to bring a motion to suspend me? Don’t you think it smacks of politics?

Will you agree that because of the alleged porn-watching incident, which had earlier taken place in Gujarat and Karnataka, Odisha’s image has been dented? 

Do you think that the state’s image has been dented because of this episode? 

Has not it been dented because of farmers’ suicides, mining scam and people going out of the state as bonded labourers? 

I thank you for highlighting the issue but please look at positive things.

Before the last general elections, a rumour had been doing the rounds that you were joining the BJD? What went wrong? 

These were just rumours. Why would I leave the Congress? Where is the need for it?

Perhaps the BJD did not want to take you?  

They even took Hema Gamang! They were so scared before elections, they wanted to take almost everyone. Anup Sai had contacted me and asked me to join the BJD along with him. But I did not opt for it knowing that the BJD is an undemocratic party. In the BJD, the ministers have no voice. I know Anup babu, who is a senior leader, has not gained much by joining the BJD.

You are a powerful MLA from the industrial belt of the state. There have been allegations that you demand “favours” from the industrial houses... 

What favour you are taking about? Yes I do ask the industrial houses to set up hospitals for the people, schools for the students and other activities like those to help people. 
As I am in the Opposition, I can neither give them anything nor can take away anything from industrial houses.

Jharsuguda has topped the state in terms of GDP. Do you still blame the state government for ignoring areas represented by Opposition leaders? What would you say as the MLA of the region?

All this is only on pen and paper. The irrigation facility in my belt is less than 18 per cent and the employment percentage hovers around 15 per cent. There is no purified drinking water for the people and no proper medical facilities and you are talking of the highest GDP! For your information, nearly 70 per cent industrial houses have downed their shutters

ORATOR-TRAVELLER

Naba Kishore Das, 53, is a good orator and is a postgraduate in English and commerce

A law degree holder, he started his political career with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI)

He represented Jharsuguda constituency in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014

He has travelled extensively, visiting 13 countries

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN HAD YOU NOT BEEN A POLITICIAN?

I want to do something in life. I may not be an Ambani but I want to contribute to society in my own small way. 
That’s the spirit that propelled me to join in politics in the first place. I would have, of course, continued as an advocate had I not been successful in politics.