A day after creating a ripple in the political circle by targeting 5T secretary in his editorial titled ‘Janmadinara Anuchinta’, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik said since the paper is the property of the readers, I have no objection if party interests get sacrificed for the interest of my readers.
“It seems to me that those who are criticizing my article have not read my article. I am asking them to read it. Why they are creating a storm in a teacup? My article is about profession, soil and party. The newspaper is not the property of Soumya Ranjan Patnaik. It is the property of readers and customers. If something needs to be done to safeguard their interest, and, in that, if the Soumya Ranjan’s party gets pawned, I have no objection,” Patnaik said.
“But if the soil is neglected and the profession is sidelined, it is never a good sign for journalists. An intellectual person never neglects his soil for his party,” he added.
Meanwhile, political reactions over Patnaik’s editorial keep pouring in.
“I don’t want to comment on anyone’s personal opinion. But people are happy with the present government and the wheel of progress is advancing in the state,” said BJD MLA Ramesh Chandra Behera.
Similarly, senior Congress leader, Narasingha Mishra said, “I have read Soumyababu’s editorial but not heard his reactions. Politics is being done using government money. Is that not mafia raj? There is corruption in every stage. And it is not only ignored but also the corrupt ones are being protected. Despite being in the ruling party, Soumya Babu has said so. It is because he has the guts.”
Earlier on Friday, Patnaik had stirred up a hornets’ nest with an editorial in his own newspaper the Sambad. In the article titled ‘Janmadinara Anuchinta’, Patnaik had trained his gun at the 5T secretary and the present state of governance. He had also raised questions on meetings organized at a cost of Rs 300 crore for collecting complaints.