Naveen targets BJP over Chameli Ojha episode, alleging assault on democracy and women’s dignity

Leader of Opposition and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the BJP government in Odisha over the alleged manhandling and arrest of Tikiri Gram Panchayat Sarpanch Chameli Ojha, accusing it of employing “repressive tactics” to silence elected representatives who raise public issues.

In a strongly worded post on X, Patnaik termed the incident involving the woman sarpanch of Mahakalapada block in Kendrapara district an affront to democratic values and women’s dignity. “Odisha is witnessing the repressive tactics unleashed by the BJP government against a woman sarpanch for raising the voice of the people,” Patnaik said, alleging that the treatment meted out to Ojha inside a government office was “an unspeakable atrocity” that had no place in a democratic society.

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The former chief minister said the episode exposed the ruling party’s double standards on women’s empowerment. Referring to the BJP’s repeated emphasis on “Nari Shakti,” Patnaik questioned whether the slogan held any meaning if an elected woman representative could allegedly face humiliation and police action for pursuing her panchayat’s developmental demands. “If a woman sarpanch is subjected to such treatment for raising issues concerning her panchayat, one can only imagine the situation faced by ordinary women across the state,” he remarked.

Patnaik also accused the BJP of selectively applying the law, claiming that leaders of the ruling party had on several occasions staged protests and entered government offices without facing similar action. “Is there a different law under BJP rule?” he asked.

Urging Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to personally intervene, the BJD president called for immediate steps to uphold democratic norms and safeguard the dignity and self-respect of women.

The controversy stems from an incident at the Mahakalapada Block office on June 12, where Ojha allegedly confronted officials while pressing for local development-related demands. The situation reportedly escalated into a scuffle, following which police detained and later arrested her on charges including misconduct and obstructing public servants in the discharge of their duties.

Ojha was admitted to the hospital after the incident and was arrested following her discharge, triggering widespread political outrage. The BJD has alleged that the sarpanch was assaulted and humiliated for raising public grievances, while the administration has maintained that action was taken strictly in accordance with the law.

The incident has snowballed into a major political controversy, with opposition parties accusing the BJP government of high-handedness and misuse of state machinery against grassroots elected representatives.