Balasore, Feb 21: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Lok Sabha MP from Odisha's Balasore, Pratap Sarangi was allegedly disrespected by the District Collector and other officials during a government programme in Balasore on Tuesday.

Sarangi, a former Union Minister, alleged that the District Collector deliberately disrespected him by not receiving him on the stage, instead making him sit on a seat below the stage during  the ‘Sikkim Record of Rights’ (Sikkim Patta) distribution programme in Nilgiri area in the district on Tuesday.

As per reports, the District Collector called around 3000 sharecroppers and sub-tenants of land in Balasore districts on Tuesday to receive ‘Sikkim Record of Rights’ (Sikkim Patta) for their lands. He also invited Balasore MP and MLA to the government programme.

When Sarangi reached the venue, no officials allegedly received the MP on the stage. Subsequently, the MP sat below the stage along with the beneficiaries. Later, he left the venue.

“I was invited to a government programme called Sikkim Patta Distribution. When I reached the venue, I saw Minister Ashwini Patra, Balasore MLA, District Collector, and some other beneficiaries on the stage. There was no vacant seat on the stage. Nobody invited me to the stage either, hence I sat below the stage for a brief period of time and left the venue,” Sarangi alleged.

"I am a representative of 20 lakh people. As per the rule and protocol, the Collector and Chief Secretary should stand up from their seats and greet the MLA and MP on the stage. It was a deliberate disrespect shown to a constitutional post. By insulting me, the officials have insulted the 20 lakh people of Balasore,” he added.

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