BHUBANESWAR: The Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday strongly criticised Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for making the recording of his conversation with the Durgapur gangrape victim public which it said violated the Supreme Court guidelines.
Addressing a media conference here, party’s Rajya Sabha member Sulata Deo, and senior general secretaries of Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD) Lekhashri Samantasinghar and Tukuni Sahu said the gangrape incident at Durgapur is painful but the release of the recording of the chief minister’s conversation with the victim is more condemnable.
“Disclosing identity of the victims and any conversation with them is barred by the apex court but the CM has done that in violation of the SC guidelines,” they added.
The regional party said the chief minister has always maintained a stoic silence on the increasing number of rape incidents in Odisha during the 15 months of BJP rule in the state.
Hence, the sudden initiative shown after the Durgapur gangrape incident seems politically motivated, the BJD leaders added.
“It is unfortunate that instead of ensuring justice for victims of similar cases in Odisha, the BJP and the state government are politicising their pain,” they added.
The BMJD leaders said when BJP MLA Santosh Khatua made indecent remarks about Samantasinghar, the matter was reported to both the Odisha State Commission for Women and National Commission for Women but no action was taken.
The party leaders also criticised the way BJP leaders, including Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, rushed to West Bengal to meet the victim and said though the law and order situation in West Bengal is poor, the situation in Odisha is even worse.