BJP questions silence of CM on BJD leaders’ ‘role’ in crimes against women

Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Wednesday questioned the silence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik over the alleged involvement of several BJD leaders in cases involving crime against women.
“A number of BJD leaders have been accused of committing crimes against women. Is the chief minister and BJD president aware of this? If yes, why is he silent?” asked BJP Mahila Morcha state president Smruti Pattnaik.
The BJP flayed CM for talking about women’s empowerment while his leaders are facing flak for their alleged involvement in crime against women. “Naveen babu boasts of taking steps for women empowerment. Let’s see whether the chief minister gives justice to the women who have recently been harassed by his party leaders,” she said.
The BJP attack on Naveen comes a day after two BJD leaders found themselves in the dock in dowry harassment cases. Senior MLA and former finance minister Shashi Bhusan Behera and his family members have been booked by Banki police for allegedly torturing daughter-in-law for dowry, while young BJD leader Arkesh Narayan Singh Deo, who unsuccessfully contested from the Balangir assembly constituency on a BJD ticket in 2019, has been facing charges of domestic violence.
Besides, BJD’s Tirtol MLA Bijaya Shankar Das has been in trouble for allegedly subjecting a woman friend to sexual abuse. The Jagatsinghpur police last year registered a case against Das under relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act besides some other sections of the IPC after receiving a complaint from the woman, who alleged the legislator had been operating a sex racket. Last week, labour minister Srikant Sahu resigned from his post in the wake of a controversy over alleged misconduct with a woman BJD leader.
The BJD hit back and said the chief minister has set an example in promoting women empowerment.
“People of Odisha know how the BJP leaders made derogatory remarks against BJD candidates Barsha Singh Bariha and Dipali Das in the run-up to the Padampur and Jharsuguda byelections. The BJP Mahila Morcha in Odisha should not talk of women safety. Why are they silent on the sexual exploitation of women wrestlers of the country by their party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh?” BJD spokesperson Ipsita Sahoo said.