[Watch] Didn’t Misbehave With Woman BJP Member… Charges False: BJD MLA Bhagirathi Sethi

Bhubaneswar: BJD leader and Anandpur MLA Bhagirathi Sethi dismissed as ‘false’ allegations by a woman BJP zilla parishad member that he misbehaved with her and abused her at a recent meeting.

“I welcome any probe into the allegations and any punishment if her charges are proved. The charges are totally false. Neither I behaved badly with her nor used any bad language,” Sethi said in an interview with Odisha Bytes.

He was responding to a question on the allegations brought against him by BJP zilla parishad member Asima Mishra. She has alleged that Sethi misbehaved with her during a panchayat samiti meeting in Anandpur on August 30. She has filed an FIR against Sethi.

Dismissing the charges, Sethi said Asima called the meeting a farce, noting that she was yet to get answers to questions raised in the last meeting. This upset other members attending the meeting, who protested and demanded that she withdraw her remarks, he added.

Sethi further said that Asima was given a resolution of the last meeting and asked to withdraw her remarks, which she refused to do and left the meeting. “There was no bad behaviour or use of bad language on my part. I didn’t even ask her to leave the meeting. She left on her own. You can check with the BDO. The BJP is indulging in drama as the saffron party is unhappy with my popularity,” he said.

To a question that the Opposition parties in the state feel that the BJD is winning elections because of money power, he refuted the charges. Sethi said that all the money spent by him on elections are provided by party contractors, who give him donations. He doesn’t seek funds from anyone else other than party contractors.

He said he has savings and owns land but has no business. He doesn’t even own a house and his son has built a house in recent times.