Feeling Unsafe In Odisha Assembly, BJD Women Legislators Seek Removal Of Jayanarayan As LoP

Bhubaneswar: Launching a scathing attack on senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra, who has been ruffling feathers with his statements since health minister Naba Das’ murder, BJD MLA Snehangini Chhuria on Friday said that the women legislators of the party met the Speaker and demanded to derecognise him as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Odisha Assembly.

Snehangini said that his behaviour, language and actions are unacceptable and deplorable. “He is a criminal with 16 cases, including murder charges against him and is out on bail having spent a long time in jail. And we women legislators don’t feel safe in his presence in the assembly. He is capable of shoving and slapping a woman cop, chasing a policeman with a sword and attacking his party colleague, and a person with such a criminal bent of mind gives us jitters and now, he seems to have lost his mental balance which can be gauged from the statements he is making,” she said.

She added that they are finding it difficult to even accept him as an MLA.

On Tuesday, senior BJD leaders said that the BJP leader had lost mental balance and needed treatment after he pointed accusing fingers at 5T Secretary V K Pandian and MLA Pranab Prakash Das in connection with Naba Das’ murder. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallik added that he is a murderer and a habitual offender and is making all kinds of allegations to save himself from the Crime Branch probe.