TNI Bureau: Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has alleged that Tikhiri Sarpanch Chameli Ojha of Mahakalapada was subjected to harassment inside a government office and accused the BJP government of attempting to suppress the voice of an elected woman representative.

In a post on X, Naveen said the treatment meted out to the woman sarpanch was not befitting a democratic system and questioned the BJP’s commitment to women’s empowerment. He alleged that a woman sarpanch raising issues concerning her panchayat was facing intimidation under the present government.

The BJD president also questioned whether similar action had been taken against BJP leaders involved in incidents inside government offices and asked if the law was being applied equally to all. He said the incident raised serious concerns about the treatment of women under the BJP government.