Bhubaneswar: Minister and senior BJD leader Damodar Rout today slammed Puri MP Pinaki Mishra for becoming critical about Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda in a magazine interview.
Talking to OTV, the minister said, “Pinaki, who had himself quit Congress and joined BJD later, should think whether it is right or wrong to issue statements on intra-party issues in a magazine.”
In an interview to journalist Barkha Dutt, Pinaki had stated, except Baijayant Panda, no one else is talking about party rift. He had further said Panda’s remarks do not find any support and dared the Kendrapara MP to resign from the party if he had the courage.
Meanwhile, Panda tweeted in reaction that Barkha’s message timeline on the social sites show how lonely she is.
The Puri MP was unavailable for comments.
Rout also criticised another party MP Bhartruhari for a column in a daily questioning BJD’s support to BJP Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind. Rout said whatever the Cuttack MP wrote might be just his opinion.
“He likes visiting Delhi and not Naveen Niwas? He could meet the Chief Minister to discuss the matter and not speak against the party like this. When senior MPs make such remarks, it affects the party,” said the BJD veteran.