Bhubaneswar: A day after black stoles and shawls were removed from women who came to attend chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s rally in Sundargarh on ‘security grounds’, the BJD supremo expressed regret and ordered for a probe into the matter.
Home secretary Asit Tripathy informed this to the media here today.
“The CM has also ordered the DGP to conduct a probe in the incident. He asked the top cop to see that such incidents don’t recur in future”, Tripathy stated.
DGP KB Singh told OTV that he has received a communication from the CM regarding this.
“We will submit a report on this soon”, Singh said.
In a related development, the BJP Mahila Morcha today has filed an FIR in Sundargarh over the matter and named Naveen Patnaik, Home secretary, chief secretary and DGP as parties.
Earlier in the day, the incident prompted the Opposition parties to create a ruckus in the ongoing Assembly. Congress and BJP alleged that police were disrespectful towards women when they forced them to take off black stoles and shawls at the Sunday rally of the CM.
As soon as Question Hour began, there was pandemonium in the house.
Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra said it was unfortunate that women were “tortured and harassed” by police at the chief minister’s meeting.
“Items of women’s clothes were taken off with the direction or the knowledge of the Chief Minister, on the pretext of providing security. The police harassed these women at the rally. This is really painful and unfortunate,” said Mishra.