BHUBANESWAR/BALANGIR: Adrija Manjari Singh, who had levelled domestic violence allegation against her husband Arkesh Narayan Singh Deo and in-laws, on Thursday questioned the ruling BJD for nominating one of the members of Balangir royal family in the ensuing elections.
For the Balangir Assembly segment, BJD has fielded Arkesh’s elder brother Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo as its candidate.
Last year, Adrija had lodged a domestic violence complaint against Arkesh and her in-laws at Dehradun police station in Uttarakhand. She had further alleged that Arkesh and her in-laws - AU Singh Deo, Bijaylaxmi Devi, brother-in-law Kalikesh and his wife Meghna Rana - were preventing her from visiting Odisha.
Questioning the chief minister for giving Kalikesh the party ticket, she said she held Naveen Patnaik in high regard for taking several measures for empowerment of women in the state. “When I came down to Odisha after my marriage, I had seen the chief minister doing a lot for women of the state. It is sad that his party has now given ticket to a member of the Balangir royal family, despite having knowledge of what has happened with me,” she said.
Stating she has no interest in joining any political party or canvassing for any candidate, Adrija said she would meet every family in the Assembly segment and share her ordeal. “What happened to me should not happen to any other person. They have committed so many atrocities on a woman in their own house. How will the others in Balangir be safe under them,” she said. Arkesh and Adrija had tied the knot in 2017.
Responding to Adrija’s claims, Arkesh accused senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra of planting the ‘politically motivated stunt’. “As Congress’ defeat in the election is almost certain after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik filed his nomination papers from Kantabanji, Mishra and his party are trying to spread negativity through such politically motivated stunts,” he said. In 2019, Arkesh had contested on a BJD ticket from Balangir Assembly seat but lost to Mishra.