Bhubaneswar: BJD chief Naveen Patnaik Friday urged Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to ensure the immediate release of Vishal Das, son of former Odisha minister Naba Das, and several panchayat raj representatives who were allegedly detained by police in the neighbouring state.
In a letter to the Chhattisgarh CM, Patnaik described the incident as “disturbing.”
On the other hand, BJP leader Saroj Padhy dismissed the allegations of detention and questioned why Vishal Das and others were in Chhattisgarh late at night.
“I would request you to look into this and ensure their immediate release and safety while they travel back to the Odisha border. Many of those detained are women panchayati raj institution members,” Patnayak added.
Patnaik claimed that Vishal and the panchayati raj institution (PRI) members, including sarpanches and panchayat samiti members from Kirmira block, were kept at Saraipali police station in Mahasamund district.
A viral video, which could not be independently verified by PTI, showed Vishal Das pleading for the release of the panchayat representatives.
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His sister and former MLA, Deepali Das, alleged that the detention was illegal.
“The panchayati raj members and my brother have been detained illegally by Chhattisgarh police,” she alleged.
Meanwhile, BJD supporters in Jharsuguda district staged protests in front of the collector’s office, demanding the release of Vishal Das and others.
The protest, led by Jharsuguda district BJD president Ravi Singh and former MLA Deepali Das, saw hundreds of BJD workers expressing outrage over what they termed an undemocratic act.
“Two years ago, my father Naba Kishore Das was killed in police firing, and now my brother has been taken away by the Chhattisgarh police. I urge the state government to uphold democracy and prevent such actions,” she alleged.
PTI
