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Majhi said Biju Patnaik's contribution to the country and the country was unforgettable. (File photo: PTI)
The chief minister said his government has not taken any formal decision to remove Biju Patnaik's name from the award
Amid criticism from the opposition BJD, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday announced that the state government's Biju Patnaik Sports Awards will not be renamed.
The Sports and Youth Services Ministry on Friday released the guidelines for this year's award, which will be renamed 'Rajya Krida Samman'.
The chief minister said his government has not taken any formal decision to remove Biju Patnaik's name from the award.
“My government respects the sons of the soil and therefore, the name of the sports award named after Biju Patnaik will not be changed,” he said, noting that he learned about the name change from the media.
Majhi said Biju Patnaik's contribution to the country and the country was unforgettable.
“The Biju Patnaik Sports Awards will continue as they are,” he added.
The opposition BJD, led by Biju Patnaik's son Naveen Patnaik, attacked the BJP government for renaming the award.
Senior BJD MP Arun Sahoo said that famous pilot and former state minister Biju Patnaik was not an individual but an institution.
“He is a national asset and has been honored by three different countries. With the name of the sports award, what does the BJP government want to prove?” he asked.
In this regard, BJP spokesperson Dilip Malik said that the state government took this decision after a thorough review.
“Not just Biju Patnaik, there are many legends and sports personalities who have contributed to the development of sports in Odisha,” he said.
The award was instituted by the erstwhile BJD government led by Naveen Patnaik in 2001-2002 to recognize sports personalities and outstanding figures in the field of sports journalism. The awards are awarded annually in eight categories.
(This report has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from United News Agency-PTI)
