Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Wednesday called out former general secretary Shreemayee Mishra’s lies about not being associated with the party for the past year with photos and videos of membership drives and public meetings in which she was present.
Addressing a presser, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty alleged that Shrimayee has been making false statements since being suspended from the party because she is keen to join the Congress.
He was responding to the former general secretary’s social media post over loss of dignity in the BJD while claiming that she had distanced herself from party roles since early 2024 and did not renew her membership.
“The party has treated her with utmost respect and also appointed her to different important positions. She served as chairperson of OTDC and Mahila Vikas Samabaya Nigam. She was also the chairperson of Odisha Building & Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board in the rank of a Cabinet Minister. She also held different positions in the party,” Mohanty said.
He further claimed that Shreemayee was present in every party meeting held in the last one year. “She also delivered speeches and extensively praised the leadership of BJD President Naveen Patnaik and V K Pandian, whom she is targeting now. During this period, never once she mentioned about not being a part of BJD,” he added.
The BJD’s women’s wing president, Snehangini Chhuria, called Shreemayee a habitual liar. “Party discipline is paramount. Shreemayee has failed to uphold the dignity of the respect which the party bestowed on her,” she added.
While claiming that she was dissatisfied with the party and did not accept any position, Shreemayee had dragged senior BJD MLA Pramila Mallick and Chhuria into the row by accusing them of having retracted their statements to the media over the past 10 days.
She also accused the BJD leadership of indifference and betrayal. “I considered the party leader like a father. But when my honour was questioned and he remained silent, that was the turning point in my life,” she said in a social media post.
She further challenged BJD to produce proof of her membership renewal.
Defending the party’s decision to suspend her, Mallik earlier told the media that Shreemayee used the party to gain power.
Another BJD leader Manmath Routray was more scathing in his response. “Shreemayaee had grown accustomed to privileges — postings, allowances and status — and became mentally unsettled when those were withdrawn,” he claimed.