Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has demanded the resignation of Odisha Sports Minister Suryavanshi Suraj on moral grounds following the floodlight failure at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack during the second ODI between India and England on February 9.
BJD spokesman Lenin Mohanty stated that the floodlight failure during the match caused significant embarrassment for Odisha in front of the global sports community.
He asserted that the responsibility for organizing such a prestigious event fell on the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) and the state government, both of whom were entrusted with the task.
Mohanty further claimed that the floodlight failure exposed flaws in the event’s organization, despite prior reviews conducted by the Sports Minister and the Chief Minister. He emphasized that the state government is entirely responsible for the incident.
However, Deputy Chief Minister K. V. Singh Deo, who also holds the energy portfolio, told the media that the floodlights at Barabati Stadium were powered by the stadium’s own generator sets.
He explained that had there been a disruption in the power supply, the entire stadium would have plunged into darkness. Singh Deo clarified that the power supply for the floodlights was interrupted because the generator had burned out.
He stated that the second ODI match was disrupted due to the generator malfunction and added that the energy department had no role in the incident.
Singh Deo also criticized the BJD for demanding the Sports Minister’s resignation, reminding the party of a past incident during its tenure when regular power supply was disrupted during President Droupadi Murmu’s address at a function in Baripada.