Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jeypore, Dec 22:

The black-scarf removal incident is back to put the state government in a discomfited situation as they were reportedly taken off from women’s body ahead of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to Odisha’s Koraput today.

black-scarf-jeypore

The women who had turned up at a programme in Jeypore had to part with their scarves during security check at the entry point. While the shutterbugs captured the incident, the women cops were prompt enough to ask the visitors to put it inside their vanity bags.

The alleged incident has evoked sharp reactions from the Opposition which has been brushed aside by the ruling party.

“This is a shameful incident that stoles have been removed from women. I condemn this as this has happened despite Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s directions,” Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati said.

The Opposition BJP had equated the incident akin to outraging the modesty of women and sought apology from the Chief Minister.

“These are all rumours. Don’t go by it. Believe in the truth. Women in large numbers have turned up at the venue. We should respect them,” BJD leader Rabi Narayan Nanda said.

Notably, Chief Minister had expressed his displeasure over removal of scarves and stoles of women during his rally at Jharsuguda earlier this month and asked DGP KB Singh and Home Secretary Asit Tripathy to ensure that such incident should not happen in future and dignity of the women is not tarnished in any way.

Patnaik had asked DGP to probe into the incident and submit a report.