Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik hails President Droupadi Murmu in new editorial

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday tried to portray his image as a pro-tribal leader through editorial pieces in several Odia newspapers, in which he termed President Droupadi Murmu’s swearing-in day “the biggest moment for every Odia”.

In an editorial titled ‘E matira kanya’ (Daughter of this soil) published in several mainstream dailies such as the Sambad, Sakala and Samaja, Patnaik wrote that when Murmu began her oath with the words “I, Droupadi Murmu...”, he felt it was the biggest moment for all Odias across the globe.

“A daughter of Odisha’s soil, a tribal girl, a mother and a sister was ascending to the highest Constitutional position of the country. I was lucky enough to be part of that golden moment in history. My presence in the central hall of the Parliament on behalf of four-and-a-half crore people of Odisha was a show of respect to the President,” Patnaik wrote.

Evoking the great Kalinga king Kharavela, who ruled Odisha and many parts of northern, southern and western India in the 1st century BCE, and Gajapati king Kapilendra Dev, who ruled present day Odisha in the 14th century, Patnaik said Murmu becoming India’s 15th President added one more glorious chapter to the history of the state.