Shocking! Union Minister Jual Oram’s PA carries his shoes

Rayagada: Senior BJP leader and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram is in news again, though for wrong reasons. A photograph of one of his staff carrying his shoes has raised many eyebrows while the heavyweight was on his way to attend a meeting in Odisha.

The Union Minister was here today to attend a party workers’ meeting where members from Koraput parliamentary constituency participated in it.

Prior to attending the meeting, Oram and other party leaders went to seek the blessing of Lord Shiva and took off his shoes there.

After paying obeisance at the temple, the minister didn’t wear his shoes and proceeded towards the meeting venue 100 m away from the temple.

While Oram chose to walk bare foot, one of his Personal Assistants (PA) identified as Niranjan Behera picked up the former’s shoes and followed him till the Kalyan Mandap – the meeting venue.

Behera offered the shoes to Oram at the venue for the latter to put it on.

Senior leaders like Giridhar Gamang, Jayaram Pangi and Bhrugu Buxipatra were also present in the meeting.

Controversy is nothing new to the tribal leader. Oram was involved in a similar controversy earlier this year where he slapped one of his Personal Assistants (PA) Siddharth Mohapatra during BJP’s National Executive Meeting at Janta Maidan in Odisha capital earlier in mid April this year.

Mohapatra was reportedly punished for responding late to Oram.

The Minister had refuted the allegations then saying “Nothing of that sort had happened. Meida was circulating wrong news. I didn’t slap him. I just pushed him.”