BHUBANESWAR: Dissident BJD leader Damodar Rout continued to embarrass his party in the House by raising the issue of the privilege notice moved by him against Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patro. Raising the issue during Zero Hour on Saturday, the former minister alleged that Speaker Pradip Amat did not allow him to make a statement on his notice against the Revenue Minister while he allowed other members, including Jaynarayan Mishra (BJP) and Amar Prasad Satpathy (NCP), to do so. Mishra and Satpathy had also moved privilege notices and were allowed to make statements, he said and added that the Speaker should be impartial. The Speaker said he has taken all decisions in this regard in an impartial manner. Rout said while making a statement on the reasons behind his resignation from the Cabinet he had not raised a finger at anybody and said continuing in the ministry is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. However, the Revenue Minister gave a statement on my clarification. Perhaps he was directed to do so, Rout said and added that a paper was also circulated in the House without the names of printer, publisher and editor among the MLAs trying to vilify me and the MLA from Bari Debasis Nayak. On Thursday, BJD MLA Bishnu Das showed a similar paper, having the names of printer, publisher and editor, in the House and wanted to move a privilege notice, he said and added that the paper was circulated among the Opposition MLAs on Saturday morning along with newspapers. The former minister reiterated his demand that a House committee be set up to inquire into the entire matter and submit his report. The latest round of spat between Rout and the Revenue Minister started after the former made a statement in the House on reasons behind his resignation from the Cabinet. Reacting to this, Patro had said Rout was asked to resign by the Chief Minister for his caste-related remarks. Rout had lost the Chief Minister’s confidence from 2009, he said.
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