Cuttack: A controversy erupted during Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan’s visit to Cuttack on the occasion of the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, after the name of local Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray was found missing from inauguration plaque.

The Vice President was in Cuttack today to mark Netaji’s birth anniversary and inaugurate several facilities. While the names of other public representatives were included on the plaque, the MP’s name was reportedly missing.

MP Alleges Disrespect to Rajya Sabha

Reacting sharply, MP Debashish Samantaray said the matter was a disrespect towards the Rajya Sabha itself. He pointed out that the Vice President is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and claimed that the omission reflected poorly on parliamentary dignity.

Samantaray said that despite being a Rajya Sabha member from Cuttack district, his name was excluded, while names of leaders from other political parties, including the BJD and Congress, were present on the plaque.

The MP alleged that the omission was a deliberate and planned conspiracy. He held the district administration responsible for the lapse and directly blamed the district collector, along with the state Culture Department, for violating established protocol.

He demanded a proper and formal inquiry into the matter to ascertain responsibility and fix accountability.

Letter to Chief Minister and Chief Secretary Likely

Samantaray said that he would write to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary, seeking an official investigation into the incident. He also demanded strict action against officials found guilty of breaching protocol norms.