Pakhala Guinness Record Row: Sujata Karthikeyan Questions BJP’s Timing Over ‘Loot’ Allegations

Bhubaneswar, July 8: What began as a celebration of Odisha’s traditional cuisine has now turned into a political flashpoint, with the ruling BJP and the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) engaging in a war of words over the Guinness World Record achieved for the world’s largest serving of Pakhala.
The latest political exchange unfolded on social media after the BJP’s Odisha unit shared a post highlighting the Guinness World Record while accusing the previous BJD government of financial irregularities linked to the event. The post alleged misuse of public funds and referred to an expenditure of around ₹147 crore, besides mentioning the procurement of jute bags.
However, Odisha News Now could not independently verify the allegations or the expenditure figures mentioned in the political post from publicly available official records at the time of publication.
Sujata Karthikeyan Questions BJP’s Timing
Responding to the BJP’s allegations, former IAS officer and newly inducted BJD leader Sujata R. Karthikeyan questioned why the ruling party had allegedly remained silent if it believed irregularities had taken place.
In a post shared on social media, Karthikeyan wrote:
“If the BJP knew this was a case of looting, why did they remain silent for two years? Why wasn’t any action taken until now? Why has this issue come to light only today?”
She further argued that making allegations was easy but proving them was much more difficult, while using the hashtags #AntiOdishaBJP and #BJPFailedinOdisha.
Guinness Record for Pakhala
The controversy centres around Odisha Tourism’s Guinness World Record achieved during Pakhala Dibasa 2026.
On March 20, 2026, Odisha Tourism entered the Guinness World Records after preparing and serving more than 1,170 kilograms of Pakhala in a single vessel during a specially organised event in Bhubaneswar.
The initiative was organised to promote Odisha’s iconic fermented rice dish on the global stage and formed part of the state’s annual Pakhala Dibasa celebrations.
Political Battle Intensifies
The BJP has projected the issue as one involving alleged financial irregularities during the previous BJD government’s tenure, while the BJD has questioned the timing of the allegations and demanded evidence to substantiate the claims.
The exchange marks one of the sharpest confrontations between the two parties since Sujata R. Karthikeyan, a former 2000-batch IAS officer, joined the BJD in June 2026 after taking voluntary retirement from the civil services.
Political observers believe the latest row reflects the growing confrontation between the BJP government and the opposition over the legacy of projects executed during the previous administration.
Debate Moves to Social Media
With both parties choosing social media as the primary battleground, the Guinness World Record for Pakhala—originally celebrated as a milestone for Odisha’s cultural heritage—has now become the centre of a wider political debate over governance, public expenditure and accountability.
As the allegations and counter-allegations continue, no official inquiry or government findings regarding the expenditure claims cited in the political posts have been made public so far.

Disclaimer: This report contains political allegations and responses made through publicly available social media posts by political parties and political leaders. Odisha News Now has not independently verified the alleged financial irregularities or expenditure figures mentioned by either side.