BJD MLA Accused Of Using Hooligans To Threaten Party’s Woman Activist

Bhubaneswar: A woman, who claims to be a BJD activist, has accused party MLA from Nimapara Samir Ranjan Dash of threatening her using hooligans.

“During Janasampark Padayatra on October 9 at Kusupur Bazaar, four persons hurled abuses at me and warned me against participating in the drive. They also threatened to set me and my car ablaze,” said Jyotsnarani Nayak, who then lodged a complaint in this regard at Gopa police station while alleging that they were close aides of the MLA.

She further alleged the four persons again threatened her for filing the police complaint and also vandalised her car on October 11. They also warned her against using the BJD flag, she said, adding that she has lodged another complaint at Nimapara police station.

While Dash refused to comment on the issue, BJD’s Nimapara block president Ashok Sahu refuted the allegations and said that the complainant is not even a primary member of his party. “We have enough evidence linking her to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). If she is a BJD activist then she needs to provide evidence to prove the same,” he added.

Senior BJP leader Pravati Parida, on the other hand, said that such incidents belie ‘Maa Ku Samman’ (respect to women) claims of the ruling BJD.