Radhey Maa row: Odisha BJP lodges complaint with Speaker

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 28:

A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs led by their legislative party leader Basant Panda today lodged a written complaint with Speaker of Odisha Assembly Niranjan Pujari on the issue of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) members passing remarks on BJP MLA Radharani Panda as Radhey Maa, the controversial self-proclaimed godwoman.

BJP MLA Radharani Panda lodged a written complaint with the Speaker alleging that the ruling BJD members Ranendra Pratap Swain and Debasish Samantray had made a mockery of her. She said she was mentally hurt by the remarks made by the ruling party members.

Reacting to this, BJD spokesperson Dr Raseswari Panigrahi said that she is opposed to anyone making personal remarks.

Earlier in the day, BJP members had boycotted the House protesting against the alleged partisan action of the Speaker. Notably, the monsoon session of the Assembly ends tomorrow.

It may be mentioned here that during Zero Hour in the Assembly on Thursday Congress legislators alleged that western Odisha is being neglected leading to regional disparity and imbalance.

During the discussion on the issue, BJP MLA Radharani Panda demanded separate state status for the Koshal region. She alleged that the state government had turned a blind eye to the demands for establishing a permanent bench of the High Court and had failed to safeguard the interests of the western Odisha people.

Reacting strongly to the demand for a separate state, BJD’s Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain said that the demand for division of the state was not acceptable. He reportedly called the woman legislator ‘Radhe Maa’ and advised her to refrain from pronouncements.

Panda protested Swain’s remarks inside as well as outside the House.

“They are doing politics in the shadow of Sarathi Baba and other Babas. Talk of Babas and Matas are coming out of their mouths. I am hurt by these remarks,” she had said on Thursday.

“When I raised my region’s issues, they made the remark, which has hurt me. I am deeply saddened by this,” Radharani Panda, the Brajrajnagar legislator had said.