To mark the 105th birth anniversary of legendary leader and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, members of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) and the Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) took out a mass cycle rally from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar on Friday morning.The rally starting from the Anand Bhawan, Bijubabu’s ancestral house, in Cuttack culminated near the Bhubaneswar airport.
Wearing white T-shirts with motif of Biju Patnaik riding a bicycle and the BJD flag tied with the handles of the cycles, thousands of students and youths from different places participated in the rally. Several party leaders, including Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, MLAs Pranab Prakash Das, Byomakesh Ray and Sushant Kumar Rout also joined the rally.
After reaching the culminating point, the participants paid floral tributes to the statue of Biju Patnaik near the airport. To mark the occasion, the State Sports and Youth Services Department organised a mini marathon at the Kalinga Stadium here.
Flagged off by Sports and Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera in the presence of hockey legend Padma Shri Dilip Tirkey and Sports and Youth Services Principal Secretary Vishal K Dev, the marathon was joined by around 400 people.
Unlike previous editions, the mini marathon this year was closed to public. Sportspersons and officials associated with the department concerned participated in the run in regulated clusters following Covid-19 guidelines. Hydration points, medical facilities, ambulance service, route markers and course marshals were arranged by the department for the event. The Minister called upon all to follow the principles and ideals of the legendary statesman.