A row reportedly broke out over the change of some guests’ names for the annual function of a school in Paradip. It was alleged that ‘such a mischief’ was done due to pressure from Paradip MLA Sambit Routray.
As per reports, the school authorities had printed an invitation card for its annual function held on Friday. In the invitation, the names of the chairperson of the Paradip Municipality Basant Biswal and the state secretary of the BJD Pramod Jena were printed as the guests of honour. Surprisingly, their names were allegedly struck off from the guest list in the invitation.
Biswal, who is also the president of Paradip’s BJD unit, suspected that the MLA might be behind the alleged mischief of striking his name from the guest list. However, the MLA has denied such allegations.
The BJD leader said, “I cannot certainly say who exactly did such a mischief. But the MLA might have done this by applying pressure on the school managing committee. Such things are not new in politics. But striking off someone’s name from the guest list for the annual function of an educational institution is nothing but sheer narrow-mindedness.”
MLA Sambit Routray dismissed such an allegation, saying, “Who am I to strike off their names from the list? Is that a place of politics? The allegation is baseless. Do they mean I am excluding their names from guest lists wherever they go? ”
Nakshatra Parida, president of the School managing committee, wondered why the names of two guests were changed. “I came to know that pressure from someone in Bhubaneswar had applied pressure on the headmaster to do so. I will look into the matter,” he added.
However, the reaction of the headmaster of the school has not been received.