BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: Even as the Congress and BJP on Friday stepped up their demand for arrest of BJD MLA Debasis Samantaray for misbehaving with a kin of Pulwama martyr Manoj Behera of Niali, the BJD said the lawmaker has already apologised and the party will take a call on the action to be taken against him.“The MLA has already apologised and the party will take a call on action to be taken against him,” BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha Member Pratap Deb said.

However, the Congress and BJP criticised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his silence over the matter though there is a demand from all quarters for action against Samantaray. “The behaviour of Samantaray has brought shame to Odisha as well as the entire country,” Congress leaders said and demanded that he should be arrested immediately. 

The BJP also questioned the silence of Naveen over the incident and alleged that the BJD has no respect for Pulwama martyrs. Criticising the CM for not visiting family members of the two martyrs from Odisha, convenor of BJP’s ex-servicemen cell retired Lieutenant General Narayan Mohanty demanded that Samantaray should be arrested for his shameful behaviour. 

Both congress and BJP filed separate FIRs against Samantaray on the day. Activists of Cuttack city unit of Mahila Congress lodged a complaint against the Barabati-Cuttack MLA with Badambadi police. Similarly, a delegation of city unit of BJP filed an FIR against the BJD MLA with SP, Cuttack (Rural).