BMC De-Seals Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi's Office

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), which had sealed the office of MP Aparajita Sarangi for 15 days for alleged violation of COVID-19 norms, de-sealed the office on the eighth day on Saturday.

Terming the sealing of her office as illegal, Sarangi said she might file a defamation case against the Odisha government for trying to malign her image.

"I was aware that the sealing of my office was illegal, but I didn't say anything on the day it happened. On the basis of a video and 21 photographs, I had shown how the ruling-BJD ministers, leaders and workers are violating COVID19 guidelines, but no steps were taken," the Bhubaneswar MP said.

Claiming the sealing as a politically motivated move, she further reiterated that the BJD office should also be sealed for violating COVID-19 norms. "Odisha government has lost its moral authority to impose COVID-19 restrictions on people," she added.

Earlier, she had dashed a letter to the BMC alleging that her office was illegally sealed and the civic body has no authority for the action taken against her on the basis of media reports showing a viral video of her birthday celebrations.

She had also cautioned the body in her letter that she has every right to claim adequate compensation from the BMC for such excessive use of authority beyond its jurisdiction and to initiate defamation and such other suitable legal proceedings.