President delivers speech in darkness, BJP seeks Odisha CM's apology

Lights went off as President Droupadi Murmu addressed the convocation of a university in her home district of Mayurbhanj in Odisha on Saturday, leading to a political row in the state.

Murmu was addressing the 12th convocation of the Maharaja Shri Ramchandra Bhanjadeo University. Four minutes into the speech, lights went off due to a power snag, plunging the venue into darkness.

Murmu continued her speech in the darkness, which lasted for nine minutes from 11.56 am to 12.05 pm before the power supply was restored.

Terming it a major security lapse, state BJP president Manmohan Samal demanded an apology from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"It is a shame for the entire state. Though the state government claims that Odisha is a power-surplus state, it cannot provide lights at the place where the country's first citizen is present. We demand an apology from the chief minister," he said.

BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said an inquiry would be done to find the persons responsible for the lapse.

Senior Congress leader Panchanana Kanungo said, "It is a big shame for the entire state. We demand the state government to tender an apology to the President for the incident."

Though there was no light at the venue, the air conditioning and loudspeakers worked.

Power is playing hide and seek, Murmu said as the audience remained seated amid the darkness.

"Light and without light is the same for us," she said, continuing her speech.

Later, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) Suresh Dalai chaired a meeting over the incident.

"The government will enquire into the matter," he said.

Tata Power North Odisha Distribution Ltd CEO Bhaskar Sarkar said there was no distribution disruption at the venue, and it plunged into darkness perhaps due to some defects in its electrical wiring.

The varsity's Vice-Chancellor Santosh Kumar Tripathy apologised for the incident.

"I am extremely sorry and blame myself for the unfortunate incident. We are ashamed for the power failure. We will certainly probe into the incident and action will be taken against the persons responsible," he told reporters.

The Industrial Development Corporation Of Odisha Ltd (IDCOL) had supplied the generator for the event, Tripathy said.

"We will ask them the reason for the snag," he added.