Now Reading: Odisha minister Rabi Narayan Naik in piggyback row over PSO video
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Odisha minister Rabi Narayan Naik in piggyback row over PSO video
The Story in Brief
A purported video showing Odisha panchayati raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik riding piggyback on his personal security officer (PSO) while visiting a flood-affected area in Kandhamal district has triggered a political row. The opposition BJD and Congress termed the act insensitive, while the BJP dismissed it as a non-issue. The video, shared on social media by BJD Rajya Sabha member Sulata Deo on Sunday, 1 November, shows Naik on the back of a man on a slippery road.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty described the visuals as astonishing and deeply disturbing, questioning the treatment of security personnel. Congress state chief Bhakta Charan Das alleged the minister chose to be carried to avoid soiling his shoes. The minister's office said Naik had a bandaged leg and took help from his PSO to protect the injury. BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra hit back, saying the opposition was trying to turn a non-issue into an issue and recalled how BJD ministers had used PSOs in the past. Naik was assigned to Kandhamal, where three of a family died in a landslide, under a disaster management plan for Cyclone Arnab.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both outlets report the incident as a controversy with no discernible slant, giving space to opposition criticism, the minister's office explanation and BJP's defence. The Times of India leads with the video's political storm and quotes the BJP spokesperson's counter-attack on BJD's past record, while Orissa Post leads with the opposition's reaction and includes the minister's office claim about his bandaged leg. The coverage is uniform straight reporting that presents the competing narratives without editorialising. The key open question, from both sources, is whether the government will take any action on the BJD's demand to uphold the dignity of security personnel.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), orissapost.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
