Bhubaneswar: Suryabanshi Suraj, the youngest minister in the newly formed Mohan Charan Majhi government in Odisha, is facing backlash after a video of him drinking with supporters went viral on social media.
BJP leader Mohan Charan Majhi was sworn in as Chief Minister of Odisha on June 12, along with other ministers. The portfolios were distributed recently, with Suryabanshi being assigned Higher Education, Sports and Youth Affairs, and Odia Language, Literature, and Culture.
Opposition parties swiftly criticized Suryabanshi following the allocation of his departments. Supriya Shrinate, Chairperson of Social Media & Digital Platforms of the Congress party, shared the video on her official handle, writing, “This is Suryabanshi Suraj. He is a minister in the BJP government of Odisha. His ministries are: Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Ministry of Odia Language, Literature and Culture.”
यह सूर्यबंशी सूरज हैं
ओडिशा की BJP सरकार में मंत्री हैं
इनके मंत्रालय हैं:
• उच्च शिक्षा मंत्रालय
• युवा एवं खेल मंत्रालय
• ओड़िया भाषा, साहित्य और संस्कृति मंत्रालय pic.twitter.com/bOBA1qKVz2— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) June 16, 2024
Shrinate’s post sparked a heated debate among netizens. Some demanded Suryabanshi’s resignation, arguing that he is unfit to be a minister, while others defended him, asserting that there is nothing wrong with consuming alcohol. One user even shared a picture of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi sitting at a table with what appeared to be liquor bottles.
“Such people are not fit to be the education minister! Odisha government should remove them,” wrote one user.
In response to the criticism, another user wrote, “What kind of absurd logic is this Supriya ji, if a person is enjoying alcohol sitting on the ground then you have a problem with it. Tell me the truth, don’t you drink alcohol? Does Rahul Gandhi not drink alcohol? Yes, you people drink while sitting on a table and chair and consider those who drink while sitting on the ground as small and disgusting.”
The controversy continues to unfold as opinions remain divided on the appropriateness of Suryabanshi Suraj’s actions and their impact on his ministerial responsibilities.
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