Suryakant Jena

Bhubaneswar: Amid the ongoing row over Abhijit Iyer Mitra’s derogatory remarks on Odisha, former Kendrapara MP Baijayant Jay Panda today condemned such comments and clarified that he has no role in the controversy. He also said that Iyer should apologise for his comments which has hurt the sentiments of the people of Odisha.

While hosting a public interaction program 'Heijau' (an informal tea party with locals) at Salepur in Cuttack district, the former parliamentarian said "I met Iyer only on two occasions, in Goa and Delhi. He is not my friend. I was not with him during his chopper tour to Konark."

Panda said that he absolutely condemns the derogatory comments made against Konark and Odisha by Iyer.

On the helicopter landing row, he further reiterated that a conspiracy is being hatched against him. “The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is probing the matter, so let the report come out and everything will be clear,” he said.

“Many others had also flown helicopters over the area but their choppers were never seized,” Panda said.

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