Baijayant’s Pakistan Analogy Kicks Up Internet Storm

Bhubaneswar: BJP’s national vice president Baijayant Jay Panda has kicked up major controversies on the internet for comparing his home state Odisha with India’s neighbouring Pakistan.

His controversial statement against Odisha police over detention and custodial interrogation of a journalist of his family-owned leading vernacular news channel heated up politics ahead of the forthcoming bypolls in the State.

Expressing his thoughts over ‘illegal’ pick up and assault on journalists, the four-time former MP from Odisha termed police action as ‘fascism’ and compared the process of law in Odisha with Pakistan.Strongly reacting to the tweet, Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s Rajya Sabha member Dr. Sasmit Patra described his former colleague’s statement as ‘unfortunate’.

The BJD MLA Pranab Prakash Das joined the forum against Panda’s remarks on Odisha. In a counter-statement, he came down heavily for comparing the State with Pakistan.Leaving no stone unturned, Lok Sabha member Anubhav Mohanty also slammed the BJP leader for his ‘illogical’ comparison. He also suggested him to quit Odisha if he finds Pakistan-like atrocities on media in the State.