BJD MP seeks privilege notice in Parliament against Cuttack Collector

A controversy has erupted over the Netaji Jayanti programme recently held in Cuttack, with Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray raising the issue before the Chairman of the Upper House. Samantaray alleged on Tuesday that he was deliberately not invited to the official event and termed the move an insult to Parliament.

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The MP took up the matter in the Rajya Sabha, strongly criticising the role of Cuttack District Collector, Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde. He has urged the Chairman to issue a breach of privilege notice against the Collector for ignoring an elected Rajya Sabha member.

Samantaray pointed out that while the Vice President attended the Netaji Jayanti function and local MLAs, MPs, and other public representatives were invited, the omission of a Rajya Sabha MP amounted not to a personal slight but disrespect to the House itself.

Stressing the gravity of the matter, Samantaray appealed to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, as head of the Upper House, to take strict note and initiate action. The issue has added a political edge to what was meant to be a commemorative event, drawing attention to protocol and administrative conduct.

“The matter I am bringing to your (to Rajya Sabha Chairman) notice, concerns each and every one of us in the House. Recently, the Vice President of India and Chairman of the House had visited Cuttack for Netaji Jayanti. In the function, you (the Chairman) inaugurated a building in memory of Netaji, the foundation of which was previously laid by (BJD supremo) Naveen Patnaik,” Debashish Samantaray told in his speech in Rajya Sabha.

“I was the MLA of Cuttack at that time, and as Rajya Sabha MP, my nodal district is Cuttack. I request and urge you. The Collector of Cuttack had not invited me to the function, although he had invited all local representatives from BJD, BJP, and Congress,” the BJD MP added.

However, no comments were received from the District Collector in this regard.