BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Friday condemned the detention of Bishal Das, son of former minister Naba Kishore Das and elected representatives of Kirmira panchayat samiti of Jharsuguda district, alleging that it has violated their democratic rights.
A delegation of BJD leaders including former ministers Debi Prasad Mishra and Sanjay Das Burma, Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik and party spokesperson Lekhasri Samantsinghar submitted a memorandum addressed to DGP YB Khurania to ADG (Law and order) Sanjay Kumar demanding that he should ascertain the real reason behind such illegal detention.
Leader of the Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik had also written to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai requesting him to intervene and release them immediately.
Stating that the no-confidence motion against the post of Kirmira block chairperson scheduled on the day could not be held because of the detention, the BJD leaders alleged that concocted and fabricated cases were filed against them. They alleged that by the time Das and his followers were released by Chhattisgarh police, the election had been cancelled.
The no-confidence motion and election of new block chairperson was scheduled on Friday as per the direction of the Orissa High Court, the BJD leaders said.
“The panchayat samiti members and sarpanchs of Kirmira block were on their way to participate in the election when they were detained near Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh. When Das rushed to the spot along with other supporters, they too were detained by police,” the BJD leaders alleged claiming this was done to debar them from participating in the election.