Congress jabs BJP over 'Koshala's historical blunder to be part of Odisha' remarks by MLA

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday attacked the BJP over its Odisha MLA Jayanarayan Mishra's recent remarks that Koshala becoming a part of Odisha was a 'historical' mistake, and questioned Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan's silence on the issue.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, shared a media report on X, which claimed that Mishra did not stand up when the state song 'Bande Utkal Janani' was sung at an event.

"Dear Dharmendra Pradhan ji, why your silence on the statements and actions of your Sambalpur colleague who did not stand up when the Odisha state song 'Bande Utkal Janani' was sung," Ramesh asked on X.

Pradhan, who is the education minister at the Centre, belongs to Odisha.

It was a historical blunder for Koshala to become a part of Odisha in 1936 as the region has remained neglected, senior BJP MLA Mishra said on Saturday.

Addressing a government function in Sambalpur where financial assistance was disbursed under the Subhadra Yojana, Mishra said Odisha was formed with the merger of three regions -- Utkal that comprised the coastal region, Kalinga in the south, and Koshala in the west.

"The merger of Koshala during the formation of Odisha was a mistake. We have been neglected," said Mishra, the BJP MLA from Sambalpur, the biggest city in the region.

"People of this region participated in the movement for merger with Odisha. But that was our biggest mistake," he added.