Case against BJD leader over comment on Biju memorial

A police complaint was filed Sunday against Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Prasanna Patsani in Puri for his comment on a court order on demolition of a memorial of former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik.

Rudra Prasad Singh, a resident of Puri, filed the complaint against the Bhubaneswar MP for his media statement that anyone who demolishes the memorial of Patnaik would be given 'Samadhi' at the place.

A Puri civil court Dec 27 ordered the Puri district collector and the Puri Municipality to demolish the Biju Patnaik Samadhi at the Swargadwar, the cremation ground for Hindus, within three months.

"Patsani has threatened in the media that he would kill my brother Ramesh Prasad Singh, who was a plaintiff in the case. So, I filed the complaint in the police station to take action against the MP," said Singh.

Adjudicating a case filed by lawyer Ramesh Prasad Singh and two others in 1999, the court ordered that no construction unwarranted by public purpose can take place inside the Swargadwar premises.

However, the Bhubaneswar MP alleged that his statement over the issue was misinterpreted in the media. "The media has misinterpreted my comments. I have not said so. There should be no politics over the issue."