BHUBANESWAR: BJP’s state women’s wing has decided to gherao chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s resident Naveen Niwas on Tuesday demanding ouster of minister
Pradeep Maharathy for his alleged ‘derogatory’ and ‘objectionable’ remarks against BJD women activists. They also criticised Naveen Patnaik for keeping silence on the issue.
“Chief minister’s silence on the issue indicates that he is supporting the minister for disrespecting women. We demand a reaction from him and also urge him to take strong action against the minister,” said Prabhati Parida, state president of
BJP Mahila Morcha.
The BJP Mahila Morcha has launched a state-wide protest against Maharathy’s remarks in which he reported said ‘BJP women activists have two husbands each’ to a local TV channel. The women wing of BJP has also lodged a police complaint against the minister at Pipili police station and on Monday submitted a petition with the State Commission for Women (SCW).
“We want to meet the chief minister and express how the minister has shown disrespect to women by his irresponsible statement. He did not even realise that he was speaking about the women of his own constituency and they may include his mother, sister or wife,” said Parida.
Maharathy had earlier refused to seek apology for his remarks and said his statement was ‘misquoted’ and ‘wrongly presented’ in the media.
BJD spokesperson Samir Das said, “There is nothing to say about it so why would chief minister comment on irrelevant issue. Because the BJP don’t have an issue to talk about so they are making such hue and cry on nothing. If you listen to the version of the minister (Maharathy) he did not say anything objectionable, but they are dragging him into controversy out of nothing.”
Maharathy had earlier got into trouble for making ‘obscene’ remarks against BJP MLA Radharani Panda on the first day of the winter session of the State Assembly on November 20, 2014. Maharathy had to lose his ministry earlier for his ‘irresponsible’ remark on Bebina
gang rape case.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.
