BJD vice-president Damodar Rout, who seems to be at loggerheads with his colleagues over the party’s campaign over the Mahanadi river dispute, refused to sit on the dais at a meeting over the issue here on Monday.
Sources said while the other party vice-presidents took their seats on the dais at the meeting presided over by former Minister Surjya Narayan Patro in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Rout bluntly refused to come on the stage when asked.
First, MlA Susant Singh requested Rout to come on stage, but he declined. later, Minister Debi Prasad Mishra and Patro tried to persuade him but in vain. Rout took a plea that he has a problem with his knees; so, he could not climb to the dais.
However, he had given a slip to Susant Singh writing that he would only come to the stage if he was given an opportunity to speak. But Patro said since there was a time limit for the meetings attended by the Chief Minister, everyone could not be given a chance to speak.
later, Rout said if he had been given an opportunity to speak, he would have shared his thoughts on the Mahanadi issue. But since it was not the case, it was all right, he added.
It might be mentioned that Rout has a number of times aired different views on the Mahanadi issue. He had even held a parallel meeting on the issue at Paradip much to embarrassment of the party.