A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Private Secretary V K Pandian criticized a lawmaker, the Opposition Congress and BJP in Odisha said that the ruling BJD party does not respect elected representatives. During a grievance meeting on Friday, Pandian indirectly targeted an MLA who opposed bringing back migrant laborers to their villages during the Covid pandemic.
The President of OPCC, Sarat Pattnayak, stated that the officer should focus on his job rather than making statements against elected representatives. Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja mentioned that it seems like there are different rules for supporters and workers of the ruling party. BJP leader Lekhasri Samantsinghar suggested that if the 5T Secretary is engaging in such activities with political motives, he should resign from his government position and join active politics.