Odisha Assault Case: BJP counters LoP Naveen over judicial probe demand amid allegations of 'sexual' assault on Army Major's fiancee

The alleged assault and arrest of an Indian Army officer of Sikh Regiment Major Gurvansh Singh and sexual harassment of his fiancee at Bharatpur police station has shaken the conscience of people in Odisha.

Politics also heated up in the state soon after the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik demanded a judicial probe into the incident.

Launching a counterattack on Naveen Patnaik, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday said that the present BJP government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards atrocities against women.

“If Naveen Patnaik could have understood this when he was in power and the CM, women atrocities would not have happened in the state. What happened in Nayagarh Pari case or Babina case? Hundreds of women were tortured and allegations were levelled against BJD leaders, but no action was taken,” said Pujari.

According to Pujari, his (BJP) government is having a zero-tolerance attitude towards atrocities against women. The government will take stringent action no matter how powerful an individual is, he said. On LoP Naveen Patnaik’s judicial probe demand, Pujari said that 24 judicial commissions were set up during BJD government's tenure. Till now not a single commission report has been made public, he said.

“A judicial probe is ordered when the matter is complex. There has been atrocity against a woman and here it is important to ensure that the culprits should be punished. The state government will take appropriate action against the culprits,” said Pujari.

The BJD government led by former CM Naveen Patnaik was in power for 24 years. Had it worked efficiently, the state would have become violence free and a developed state, said the Revenue Minister.

“The former CM Naveen Patnaik had set up model police stations. Our BJP government will try to create model police officers. In the present case, appropriate action will be taken,” he added.