Cant sacrifice my self-respect

BHUBANESWAR: Former minister and senior BJD leader Damodar Rout on Saturday said he could not have worshipped a human being to continue to be a minister. Talking to mediapersons after he made a statement in the Assembly explaining the reasons for his resignation from the ministry on May 8, Rout said he had nothing to say about those who flatter to save their ministerial posts and worship human beings to continue as minister. The former minister was reacting to the statement of Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patro in the House that he was asked to resign by the Chief Minister for making caste-related remarks. Rout said he was never sacked but resigned from the ministry. “I had never created a situation to be sacked from the ministry,” he said and added that nobody had ever questioned his competence as a minister. Rout said Patro had advised him to bow down before a leader to save his ministerial chair. “But I cannot sacrifice my self respect to continue as a minister,” he said.