It may sound incredible, but fact is Ministers do not feel secure in Odisha. The insecurity among the Ministers is so intense that some of them engage their own people to inform them about possible egg hurling during their visits.
“Is there any information on the possible egg throwing,” a Minister belonging to a coastal district asked a supporter while picking up phone during a public meeting. The supporter said the Minister could return safe as it was late in the night.
Many Ministers are now thinking several times before giving consent to attend a meeting, either in the State capital or in districts.
“A Minister had given consent to attend the silver jubilee function of our school in Baleswar district, but he refused to come in the changed situation,” a BJD youth leader said while searching an alternative Minister for the occasion.
The youth leader appeared visibly upset for not finding any Minister. Even Minister and senior ruling party leaders belonging to their own districts are not ready to attend any public function.
Though Ministers are being hurled eggs and tomatoes or greeted by Congress supporters with black flags across the State, the Government is strangely silent over the matter.
While about half a dozen of Ministers have so far faced the difficult situation due to egg hurling and black flag protests, senior Minister Damodar Rout, who is also a vice-president of the BJD, is publicly criticised by a senior ruling party MlA, Debashis Samantaray, adding fuel to the insecurity of Ministers.
However, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is yet to open his mouth to end the intraparty squabbles. The Ministers are worried over the CM’s silence and make their own arrangements to save their image in the face of opposition onslaught in the public.