A delegation of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday met National Women Commission over the derogatory words used against its party leader Lekhasru Samantsinghar by a sitting BJP MLA Santosh Kathua and demanded action against him.
A six-member delegation comprising party MPs and Samantsinghar submitted a memorandum with the National Women Commission chief, seeking action against the BJP MLA from Nilagiri.
In their memorandum, the BJD highlighted the chain of events that started on July 2 this year when Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Balasore District President of BJD, and Sukanta Nayak, Ex-MLA Nilagiri and Samantsinghar were holding a press conference in Sankha Bhavan, the party headuqarters of Biju Janata Dal at Bhubaneswar regarding the alleged poaching and killing of an elephant and smuggling of the tusk at Telipal village of Nilagiri constituency of Balasore district.
They pointed out that the press conference was done as per instructions of the party and as a Spokesperson and the MP candidate of Balasore in 2024 General Elections, she was leading the press conference.
“The involvement of Khatua, sitting BJP MLA of Nilagiri in the said poaching incident was mentioned purely based on newspaper reports, various audio clips and the fact that three out of the four culprits were arrested from the farm house of Khatua and the party demanded immediate investigation and action against him since a clear connection had been established between Khatua and the poachers,” the memorandum read.
It alleged that within an hour of the press conference, Khatua called a group of media persons at his farm house in Nilagiri and without replying to or rebutting charges, started abusing Samantsinghar using slurs.
“He even claimed that he has seen her doing all these immoral acts himself. His remarks are a direct consequence of the press conference which was held as per directions of our party. Instead of countering it with facts and figures, Khatua called her a prostitute thereby harming her reputation and causing grave mental trauma. We, in the Party, see it as an attempt to tarnish the image of Biju Janata Dal since she is our spokesperson. His filthy and misogynistic way of portraying women is a gross violation of the law of the land and amounts to outraging the modesty of a woman,” the complaint read.
It also said the action of Khatua was a calculated move to tarnish the image of Samantsinghar.
It added that the BJD has come out strongly and in full force to back Samantsinghar and opposed this kind of misbehaviour and public conduct.
“Our delegation also met President (Droupadi Murmu) and gave memorandum requesting her intervention in the matter. Our delegation met the State Commission for Women regarding the issue and gave memorandum to take action and the Commission has directed the SP of Balasore to investigate the matter and report within 15 days,” it read.
“With much regret we want to bring the fact before you that even after three weeks of the incident neither the Mahila Police nor the Balasore SP had taken any action to investigate the matter. They are sitting over the matter while the perpetrator is again bragging in the media justifying his behavior. The ruling BJP has also not taken any disciplinary action against the MLA. The President of our Party and the Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, has taken the matter very seriously and raised concerns about the safety of women in the public space in Odisha,” it stated.
It further pointed out that the role of the National Women’s Commission becomes really crucial as it has beem assigned the responsibility of providing a safe, secure and level work atmosphere to all women who chose to come out of their home as well as to address issues of discrimination, harassment and violence against women.
“There is enough scope for the commission to take suo moto cognizance of offenses concerning women,” it stressed.
The party demanded an immediate inquiry on the BJP MLA, police action against him and his arrest and also urged the state police to provide protection to the BJD leader.
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