Bhubanswar: Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradan on Sunday gave a new twist to Damodar Rout's unceremonious exit from the Naveen Patnaik ministry on December 22.

Addressing a press conference here, Pradhan said: "Everyone knows that Rout was sacked from the ministry for his remarks against a particular community. But I have information that Rout has been removed for other reasons. This even appeared in some vernacular newspapers in south Odisha. He was sacked for initiating action against some departmental activities that hurt the 3rd floor (chief minister's office)."

Pradhan said: "Two days before his removal from the ministry, I had the opportunity to meet Rout at a meeting in Bhubaneswar. Rout had said he would go to Malkangiri to attend the Malyabanta Utsav. But there he had held a review meeting of his department. The review meeting did not go down well with the 3rd floor (chief minister's Office). That's the reason, he was asked to resign. However, his removal was given a different colour."

To buttress his point, Pradhan recalled: "On an earlier occasion Rout had made derogatory remarks against Dalits and anganwadi workers. The chief minister could have taken action against him at that time. But he had remained silent on those occasions."

The BJD reacted sharply to Pradhan's allegations.

"It's the our organisational matter. Pradhan should think about his own party affairs," said BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb.

At Malkangiri, Rout had lauded tribals for never seeking anything free unlike Brahmins who begged for alms. Later, the Brahmin community had organised protests in various parts of the state and burnt effigies of Rout demanding his resignation.

Chief minister, who is extremely sensitive to such matters, had disapproved of the derogatory remarks against Brahmins saying he won't tolerate remarks "against any caste, creed or religion" and sacked the 76-year-old Rout from the ministry.