Patnagarh (Balangir): Legendary leader late Biju Patnaik's statue was set on fire at Parshuram Chowk in Patnagarh area in Odisha's Balangir district today. 

According to reports, a contoroversy had cropped up earlier over installation of Biju Patnaik statue at Parshuram Chowk with protests by a particular Hindu community after the then Patnagarh MLA Saroj Kumar Meher installed the statue. 

The members of Brahmin Samaj staged a sit-in for around one month opposing installation of statue of Biju Patnaik. They demanded to install Lord Parshuram's statue at that place instead of Biju Patnaik's statue.

They affirmed that as the chowk has been named after Lord Parshuram, the statue of Parshuram should be installed at that place, not Biju Patnaik's statue. 

Following protest, Biju Patnaik's statue was wrapped in polyethene by order of the district collector and Orissa High Court. 

However, the statue was set ablaze this morning. Locals alleged that some people might have instigated miscreants to set the statue on fire.  

Police detained one person, who was found roaming around the statue today morning, in connection with the incident for interrogation. 

However, the police stated that the suspect was mentally unstable.

Reacting to the incident, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) condemned the act of burning Biju Patnaik's statue in Patnagarh. 

This is an unforgivable offence, said BJD leader Debi Mishra. 

Addressing a presser in Bhubaneswar, he said, "There has been a desperate attempt to burn the statue of Biju Babu in Patnagarh. Constant efforts are being made to erase Biju Babu's work. The miscreants should be arrested immediately." 

The BJD held the ruling BJP responsible for the incident. 

"Sponsored programmes are being organised to remove Biju Babu's name from public memories. After excluding the Panchayatiraj Diwas celebration on Biju Babu's birth anniversary, his name was removed from various schemes. This is a conspiracy hatched by the BJP that will pay a huge price in future," said senior BJD leader Pratap Jena. 

BJD leader Arun Sahoo hit out at the BJP over the issue describing the state government as 'weak'. 

"When government is weak, the administration becomes weak. The statues of Odisha's legendary leaders are being vandalised. As the government is weak, the anti-socials are taking advantages of the situation. On birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik on March 5, his statue was vandalised in Mahanga area in Cuttack district. And now, his statue was set on fire ahead of his death anniversary on April 17. This is a pre-plan incident," the Nayagarh MLA alleged.