Patnaik to seek BJD MP's explanation over 'thief' remark

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said an explanation will be sought from party MP Tathagata Satpathy for his 'thief' remark against the outgoing ministers.

Patnaik, who took strong exception to Biju Janata Dal's Dhenkanal Lok Sabha MP Tathagata Satpathy's statement, also disapproved of the senior party leader's comments at a public meeting.

"I have given a great deal of important political work to certain leaders of our party. Nobody should construe it as otherwise. What has been said is not good," the BJD president told the mediapersons here.

Patnaik's statement came after former Minister Debi Mishra, whom Satpathy branded as a 'thief', apprised him of the matter.

Debi Mishra said "he and Satpathy have never crossed each other's boundary but this remark has come without any context".

At a public gathering in Dhenkanal district on Wednesday, Satpathy had commented that "like Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), BJD too has many thieves and 4-5 of them were sacked by Naveen Patnaik during the last cabinet rejig".

Satpathy also took Debi Mishra's name to substantiate his claim.

--IANS

cd/pgh/bg