BHUBANESWAR: The ruling BJD on Saturday refrained from making any comment on sealing of the office of national BJP national spokesperson and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi for violating Covid-19 guidelines.
“It is an administrative decision and BJD has nothing to comment,” BJD spokesperson Sulata Deo told mediapersons on Saturday.
Deo said many buildings, hotels and other facilities have been sealed in the past throughout the State and many more may be sealed in future to protect the lives of people.
“We have nothing to comment on these,” she said. Stating that coronavirus does not see political party and infect BJD, BJP and Congress, she said it is a war to protect the humanity and all of us should follow the Covid guidelines and fight this war together.
Meanwhile, a day after Sarangi raised the issue of Covid-19 guidelines violation by ministers and MLAs, the Sea Beach police on Saturday served show cause notice on Satyabadi MLA Umakant Samantray. The police served the notice at the legislator’s official residence. The BJD legislator said he has received the notice and will take necessary steps after consulting his lawyer.
Interestingly, after Sarangi raised the issue yesterday, BJD MLA Samantray issued a video message in which he apologised for attending funeral of Pipili MLA Pardeep Maharathy in violation of Covid guidelines.
“It was an emotional reaction but I am ready to accept any action as per law. No one is above law and I will abide by the rule of law,” he said on Saturday.
However, the police is yet to initiate any action against Minister of State for School and Mass Education Samir Ranjan Dash who also attended the funeral. Like Samantray, Das had also tested positive. Sources, however, said no action has been initiated against the Minister as he had completed the mandatory isolation and home quarantine.
Complaint against two ministers for COVID violation
Jagannath Sena on Saturday lodged a complaint with Kharavela Nagar police against School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash and Tourism Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi for allegedly violating Covid-19 guidelines. In his complaint, convenor of the outfit Priyadarshan Pattnaik said Dash had participated in funeral procession of Pipili MLA Pradeep Maharathy at Swargadwar in Puri while Panigrahi paid his last tribute to the senior BJD leader in Bhubaneswar despite testing positive for Covid-19. However, Dash refuted the allegations.