Odisha govt and coastal belt will be responsible if State is divided, says Congress leader Narasingha Mishra

Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the ban on actor Manoj Mishra, Congress leader Narasingha Mishra on Saturday said that the people of Coastal Odisha and the State government will be responsible if there is any division of the state.

He said, “As an Ollywood actor, Manoj Mishra only wanted to screen Odia movies in Western Odisha. Banning Manoj Mishra from Odia film industry for two years is unfortunate. It only shows the anti-Western Odisha sentiment of the Ollywood producers.”

“Be it establishing a High Court bench or an agriculture university, the government never heeds to the demands of Western Odisha. In fact, the government wants western Odisha to remain neglected,” the Congress leader alleged.

It is pertinent to mention here Narasingha Mishra while addressing a public gathering at Bolangir’s Bharasuja on Friday evening said that Odisha will be divided into two parts if the decision to ban the actor from Ollywood is not revoked immediately.

Reiterating his previous statement, Mishra further said, “Western Odisha people have been forced to demand a separate Koshal State. While I am against a separate state, the mindset of the government reeks of their conspiracy to divide Odisha anyway. If Odisha gets divided, then the Coastal Odisha people and the State government will be held responsible for that.”

On Narasingha Mishra’s statement, Manoj Mishra said, “Everybody has a different way of extending their support for my film ‘Mind Game’. I guess, this is his way of supporting me. I am happy that the whole of Odisha is showering support on me. Disputes and controversies are not good for Odia cinema. The government should make sure that no Odia movie is removed from theatre before one month of its release.”

“Cinema does not have any language. The only language of cinema is cinema. Not only Narasingha Mishra, but people from Southern Odisha too have come in support of my film.

Ollywood producers have reacted sharply over Narasingha Mishra's statements.

Producer Sanjay Nayak said, “Nobody can divide Odisha. Narasingha Mishra is a seasoned politician. However, he should not meddle in the affairs of the Ollywood.

Similarly, actor Sritam Das also criticized Narasingha Mishra and said, “There should not be any politics over cinema. This is an Odia film family dispute, which will be resolved amicably. As far as Western Odisha is concerned, many actors from the region have made it big in Ollywood and are now placed in higher echelons. So I request the politicians to leave the dispute to us and do not meddle in it.”

Responding to Narasingha Mishra’s statement, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Amar Patnaik said, “Odisha govt has always prioritized Western Odisha. From Airport to medical college and Biju Expressway, the State government has left no stone unturned to develop the region. And we will keep developing it in the future as well. I do not think there will be a distinction between Western and Coastal Odisha anymore.”