Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) Nimapara MLA Samir Ranjan Dash has landed in another controversy after a woman party leader on Saturday accused him of threatening her with the help of hooligans. As per the allegations by the woman leader identified as Jyotsnarani Nayak, though she has filed two complaints at Gop Police Station in this regard, no police action has been taken as yet.
Jyotsnarani alleged, “When her party was conducting a Janasampark Padayatra on October 9 at Kusupur Bazaar, I was part of the programme. Four persons strongly opposed my participation and warned me. Apart from abusing me in obscene language, they threatened to set me and my car ablaze, if I ever take part in the drive.”
She also said that the four persons who threatened her are frontline workers of Samir Ranjan Das.
Following the incident, she filed a complaint at the local police station. She also alleged that on October 11, four persons had threatened her over the police complaint, apart from vandalizing her car. The hooligans had allegedly torn apart the party flag that she had displayed on her car and warned her against its use. They also uttered expletives against her, she alleged.
Thereafter, the woman BJD leader filed another complaint against the four people at the police station, alleging that they were sent by the Nimapara MLA.
However, a BJD functionary of Nimapara has dismissed such allegations against the MLA and claimed that the complainant is not a party member, but an activist of the BJP.
Reacting to the allegations, Ashok Sahu, BJD's Nimapara block president, said, “The allegations against the legislator are baseless. As for Jyotsnarani, she is not a BJD worker, but we have enough evidence that she is linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). If she is a BJD worker, she should come with proper evidence.”
On the other hand, senior leader of BJP, Pravati Parida, condemned such an incident, saying, "Such an incident amply indicates that the BJD MLA is habitually inclined to harass women while the BJD government’s much-touted claim of ‘Maa Ku Samman’ (respect to women) is nothing but a hoax.”
The Nimapara MLA was earlier embroiled in a controversy after he was linked to the suicide of Puri Zilla Parishad-11 member, Dharmendra Sahu. In a purported video message, the ZP member had alleged that the MLA was in a relationship with his wife and forced him to commit suicide.
Meanwhile, Athagarh MLA Randra Pratap Swain has also drawn flak for shouting slogans in favour of Samir Ranjan Das in Nimapara.
At a rally in Athagarh Cuttack on Saturday, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan targeted Athagarh MLA Randra Pratap Swain saying the latter was shouting slogan in favour of Samir Ranjan Das, even though the Nimapara legislator has been accused of woman harassment.
On the other hand, senior BJD leader Bhupinder Singh also targeted Ranedra Pratap Swain for openly announcing the candidature of Samir Das from Nimapara Assembly Constituency.
“Nobody is above the party discipline. Neither the party president nor the organizing secretary will welcome the announcement of names of any leaders as candidates for any constituencies,” Singh observed.
However, no comments were received from the MLA and the police.