Bhubaneswar: The Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD) on Wednesday strongly criticised Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for releasing a video of his conversation with an Odia medical student who was gangraped in Durgapur, West Bengal. The women’s wing of the Biju Janata Dal said the act violated Supreme Court guidelines that protect the identity and privacy of sexual assault victims.
At a press conference held at the BJD headquarters, Shankha Bhavan, Senior General Secretary Tukuni Sahu said that law and order in Odisha had worsened during the last fifteen months of BJP rule. “Incidents of rape, gangrape, and murder are being reported almost every day, yet the Chief Minister has shown no concern for the victims in his own state,” she said. “While the West Bengal case is indeed tragic, making the recording of his conversation with the victim public is completely wrong.”
BMJD General Secretary Sumitra Jena said the Chief Minister’s action clearly violated Supreme Court guidelines that prohibit revealing a victim’s identity or sharing her statements publicly. “By circulating this recording through the media, the Chief Minister has disrespected both the victim and the law,” she added.
Support Independent Journalism? Keep us live.
Rajya Sabha MP and BMJD General Secretary Sulata Deo said the Chief Minister’s sudden interest in the West Bengal case appeared to be politically motivated. “When such incidents happen in Odisha, neither the State nor the National Women’s Commission shows the same level of response,” she said, accusing the BJP government of using the case for political gain.
Dr. Lekhasri Samantsinghar, another senior BMJD leader, said that the way BJP leaders, including Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, rushed to West Bengal to meet the victim looked like “rape tourism.” She said the Chief Minister’s act of making the video public was insensitive and condemnable.
The BMJD leaders said that while the situation in West Bengal is concerning, women in Odisha are also facing increasing insecurity. They urged the Chief Minister to focus on improving safety and justice for women in Odisha instead of politicising such sensitive cases.
Comments are closed.