Odisha: Woman asked to remove black innerwear before CM’s meeting, says BJP MLA

BJP woman legislator Radharani Panda on Thursday alleged in the Odisha Assembly that a lady was asked to remove her black colour innerwear before being allowed to enter the venue of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s meeting at Bargarh.

Panda’s allegation created ripples in the House after she was given an opportunity to speak on the issue of security personnel asking girls and women to remove black ‘Odhani’ (stole) before allowing them to attend a government programme attended by the Chief Minister in Sundergarh district on December 4.

“Even a woman was asked to remove her black petticoat to attend the CM’s meeting held earlier at Bargarh,” Panda alleged adding she came to know about the incident of November 25 from media reports.

She also alleged that a 5-year-old child died due to suffocation at the Chief Minister’s meeting at Bargarh.

The woman MLA from Brajrajnagar further alleged that a policeman forcibly removed her black shawl while she was proceeding to Chief Minister’s meeting at Jharsuguda on November 23.

“Is it respect towards women under this government,” Panda wondered adding that she went to the meeting as per the invitation.

“I felt disrespected and humiliated at the meeting of the chief minister,” Panda said as the ruling party members continued to disrupt her speech.

She also alleged that women’s dignity was dented at the CM’s meeting in Bargarh, Jharsuguda and Sundergarh.

Making an intervention, government chief whip Ananta Das raised question as to why the woman MLA did not raise the issue earlier as the winter session of the assembly began on December 1.

He said the chief minister has already given a statement on the incident that took place at Sundergarh.