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The Print
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
BJD leader moves SCW seeking BJP MLA's arrest for derogatory remarks
The memorandum demanded that the SCW 'Immediately institute an inquiry into the incident of misconduct by Khatua and issue a direction to police to take immediate action on my FIR and arrest the culprit since the sections under which the MLA has been charged are cognizable and requires custodial interrogation'. Accompanied by a group of party leaders, Samantasinghar submitted a memorandum to the State Commission for Women. Bhubaneswar, Jul 7 (PTI) BJD leader Lekhasri Samantsinghar on Monday asked the State Commission for Women, Odisha to direct police to arrest ruling BJP MLA Santosh Khatua for his alleged derogatory remarks against her. The BJD leader has already filed a written complaint at the Mahila Police Station in Bhubaneswar against the BJP MLA. Narrating the sequence of the incident, the BJD woman leader said that Khatua out of anger targeted her and made wild allegations and also pointed fingers at her character. '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,' Samantasinghar said. The BJD leader said the MLA made such remarks after she at a party press conference accused him of having links with poachers who killed elephants in Nilgiri area. 'Instead of giving a reply to my allegations, he targeted me,' she said. Samantsinghar also told the SCW that she also fears danger to her life as Khatua lives near her house at Nilgiri in Balasore district. 'Since the person in question is a ruling party MLA, I would request the Commission to act independently and impartially in bringing the matter to justice. I would request to treat this matter with due urgency since delay may dilute the seriousness of the problem,' she said in the memorandum. Meanwhile, four complaints have been filed against the MLA, three at Nilgiri police station in Balasore district and one at Mahila Police Station in Bhubaneswar by Samantsingher herself. The Police on July 5 booked Khatua, under BNS sections 75 (2) that deals with sexual harassment, 79 (offensive words, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 296 (obscene act/ song in a public place) and 356 (defamation). Khatua on Monday accused Samantsinghar of making 'unacceptable' remarks against women whose husbands go outside the state on migration. This apart, the MLA said he just responded to Samantasinghar's remarks of 'thief' and 'dacoit' towards him. PTI AAM AAM RG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Print
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
BJD demands apology as BJP MLA's remarks trigger political storm in Odisha, FIRs filed
Khatua, a lawmaker from Nilgiri assembly constituency in Balasore district, in a statement to certain television channels allegedly made 'derogatory' remarks on Samantasinghar's character. BJD's senior general secretary and spokesperson Lekhashree Samantasinghar has also drawn the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by tagging a letter in her X post. Bhubaneswar, Jul 3 (PTI) Ruling BJP MLA Santosh Khatua on Thursday courted controversy after allegedly making 'derogatory' remarks against a prominent woman BJD leader, prompting a strong backlash and a demand for an apology from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the saffron party. Meanwhile, at least three FIRs were filed at Nilgiri police station on Thursday evening by separate persons — including two women — accusing Khatua of making derogatory and objectionable remarks against the woman. 'Dear Modi Ji @narendramodi, Please listen to your MLA from Odisha talking about women politicians. This is true blood BJP neta giving true salute to women,' Samantasinghar wrote. 'I know you have very competent and intelligent Odia officers in @PMOIndia and Party. Please ask them to translate for you. After listening to it, we will see if you still have the motivation to talk about 'naari ka samman' or 'Operation Sindoor'.' 'Your promise for women will sound hollow if you fail to take action against such misogynistic elected representatives,' Samantasinghar stated. The controversy started from a press conference by Samantasinghar on Wednesday, where she accused Khatua of involvement in the killing of a tusker and theft of its tusks in Balasore's Nilgiri area on June 15. She also called the BJP MLA a 'thief' and a 'dacoit.' In what appeared to be a retaliatory statement made to certain television channels, Khatua allegedly made remarks on Samantasinghar's character, which were widely condemned. Attempts to contact the Nilgiri legislator failed as his phone remained switched off after the interview. Khatua's remarks, which went viral in social media, sparked a statewide outrage over the language used by a lawmaker. However, PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the viral video. Leader of the opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik strongly denounced the BJP MLA's remark and called upon people to oppose such kind of words against a woman. 'Otherwise, as a state, we will fail before our daughters and mothers,' he said. In a post on X, Patnaik said: 'Attempting to assassinate a woman's character in public as a political response is a reflection of a sick mentality and is aimed at suppressing women's voices. It suggests that all women should remain silent. The most distressing aspect is the profound silence of BJP leaders.' He added, 'Not a single leader has come forward to condemn such reprehensible remarks or hold the MLA accountable. This behaviour and the silence of all concerned clearly reveal the stance of the ruling party in public.' At a press conference on Thursday, Pramila Mallik, the Opposition chief whip in the Odisha Assembly and BJD senior vice-president, condemned Khatua's comments and accused the BJP of obstructing women's participation in politics. 'BJP MLA Khatua has used extremely hateful, ugly, insulting and low-quality language towards Dr. Lekhashree Samantasinghar. If such language is used against a woman, it is never acceptable in a civilised society,' Mallik said. 'There are also women leaders and elected women representatives in the BJP. Has the BJP, which claims to be a party with a difference, trained its MLAs to speak this way about women?' she asked. Mallik further asserted that the remarks were not just personal but an affront to all women, and demanded a public apology. 'Khatua's remarks are not directed at one woman alone—they are an insult to the entire women fraternity. Therefore, CM Mohan Charan Majhi and the BJP must apologise to the women of Odisha,' she added. Responding to the allegations, BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal defended Khatua, claiming that he is being falsely implicated in the elephant poaching case. 'Nilgiri MLA is being falsely dragged into the elephant killing case. The BJD has done a PhD in making false allegations,' Biswal said in a statement. He added that four people have already been arrested in connection with the elephant deaths at Kuldiha Sanctuary, and those apprehended were habitual offenders. 'Even during the BJD's tenure, elephants were killed. This is nothing but a conspiracy to malign the image of BJP legislators,' he alleged. PTI AAM MNB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
