BJD leader and Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout has once again stirred a hornets’ nest by stating that Jayi Rajaguru was not a freedom fighter.

While addressing a gathering at the Khordha lok Mahotsav on Thursday, Rout said Paika Bidroha, the first war of independence against the British Empire, had taken place in 1817 and not in 1804 and Buxi Jagabandhu, not  Rajaguru, was the initial crusader of this battle.

Rout said Rajaguru fought with the British as the latter went back on their promise to give him some promised land.

 “The Britishers had promised Rajaguru to give him two Parganas. But since they did not keep their promise after annexing the province of Odisha, Rajaguru fought with the British in 1804. But the British had defeated him. The battle fought by Buxi Jagabandhu in 1817 was the actual fight against the Britishers,” the Minister said.

He further said that during his tenure as Culture Minister, he had formed a committee headed by noted historian BC Roy to write the history of the freedom struggle in Odisha. The committee mentioned in its report that Jayee Rajaguru fought with the Britishers as they went back on their promise to give him two Parganas, he added.

However, recently Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singh Deb had said that the Paika Bidroha against the British Raj was launched under the leadership of Jayi Rajaguru in 1804 instead of 1817 and Buxi Jagabandhu had later taken it forward.

Rout’s statement has triggered deep resentment among the people of Khordha and the intelligentsia, who have deep respect for Rajaguru.