Tathagata, Debi met Naveen over thief remark

Bhubaneswar: BJD MP Tathagata Satpathy and former Minister Debi Prasad Mishra on Sunday met BJD president Naveen Patnaik over the ‘thief’ remark by the BJD MP.

Both the leaders claimed that the matter has been sorted out amicably.

They met Naveen Patnaik at the latter’s residence in the presence of Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Keshari Deb and former Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das.

“We met the party supremo, during which I regretted the remark. It was a slip of tongue. We are friends and there is nothing between us,” said Satpathy after meeting Patnaik.

Mishra also called the Dhenkanal MP his ‘intimate’ friend.

“Both of us informed about the total matter to the Chief Minister and spoke to each other. We are close friends. Besides, he (Satpathy) has already clarified about it in public domain,” said Mishra in his reaction.

The Dhenkanal MP, while addressing a public meeting at Hindol in Dhenkanal district on June 7, had said that the BJD supremo had removed five ‘thieves’, including former minister Debi Mishra, from his ministry during the last reshuffle.

Satpathy’s remark had created massive resentment among party leaders.