Bhubaneswar/Kendrapara: BJD president Naveen Patnaik Sunday sought Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s intervention into the alleged assault and arrest of a woman sarpanch in Kendrapara district, while the victim demanded a judicial probe into the entire episode, alleging police excesses.
Tikhiri Gram Panchayat’s Sarpanch Chameli Ojha (33) was arrested on the charge of verbally abusing a block development officer (BDO) and obstructing him from discharging his duties, officials said.
Her brother Suryakanta Ojha was arrested following a complaint lodged by the BDO over the incident that took place at the block office Thursday.
Taking to X, Patnaik said, Honourable Chief Minister Shri@MohanMOdisha, intervene immediately in this matter to ensure the dignity of democracy and the protection of women’s self-respect.
Patnaik, a five-time former CM, alleged that Odisha is witnessing the repressive tactics unleashed by the BJP government against a woman sarpanch for raising her voice.
The unspeakable atrocity committed openly against Chameli Ojha, sarpanch of Tikiri Panchayat in Mahakalpada, inside a government office, is never befitting a democratic nation, he asserted.
The BJP government’s despicable efforts at all levels to silence the voice of a woman sarpanch are glaringly evident, Patnaik noted, asking What does it mean by ‘Nari Shakti Vandana’ when the BJP, which speaks grand words about women’s empowerment, truly respects women
The BJD leader was referring to the Nari Shakti Vandana Act (106th Amendment to the Constitution) that reserves 33 per cent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.
If a woman sarpanch under the BJP government faces such a situation for raising demands for her own panchayat, then the plight of countless women in the state is clearly imaginable, the BJD president said.
Responding to the allegation, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the government is monitoring the developments and will take appropriate action after examining official findings submitted by the authorities.
The state government has already directed the district administration and police authorities to submit a detailed report on the matter, the minister said.
Meanwhile, Ojha, who is undergoing treatment at the district hospital, demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The police who assaulted me at the behest of the BDO cannot conduct a fair investigation. A judicial probe is necessary to ensure justice, she told reporters.
Kendrapara District Collector Raghuram R Iyer said the administration would soon submit a report to the government.
SP Siddharth Kataria, however, said the action against the sarpanch was based on a complaint lodged by Mahakalapada BDO Rabi Narayan Acharya.
The officer accused Ojha and her brother of abusing him, obstructing him from performing official duties and illegally videotaping him inside the block office.
The SP also stated that the two assaulted two police personnel.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the opposition BJD met the Kendrapara Collector and SP, demanding action against the police personnel and Mahakalapada.
The delegation sought a fair probe into the complaints lodged by the sarpanch.
The BJD leaders alleged that Ojha was assaulted by police personnel at the behest of the BDO and subsequently arrested her illegally while undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital in Kendrapara.
We visited Chameli Ojha in the hospital and found visible injury marks on her body, which indicate that she was attacked. She has lodged a complaint against the BDO, but no case has yet been registered against the officer, alleged senior BJD leader Ipsita Sahu.
Kendrapara MLA Ganeswar Behera claimed that the police acted in haste to arrest the sarpanch while she was under medical treatment.
He alleged that she was discharged from the hospital prematurely and sent to jail, only to be referred back to the hospital later for treatment as her condition had not fully improved.