Supporters of local unit of the Biju Mahila Janata Dal president Minati Debta, who was arrested on Saturday for allegedly involving in a clash with BJD youth leader Prakash Paswan, staged a dharana on Monday, demanding action against former Rourkela MlA Sarada Nayak. Their slogan was ‘Sarada hatao, BJD bachao.’
According to them, Debta’s popularity in the city has been growing for her pro-poor activities among the slum dwellers, the downtrodden, SC, ST and minority community. Being intolerable with her rise, Nayak and a few of his supporters dragged her into a criminal case to tarnish her image.With the activities of the conspiring group led by Nayak, the BJD’s image too has taken a beating here, they said and urged BJD supremo and CM Naveen Patnaik to take early action against Nayak and his aides.
Though Nayak was not available to make his reaction on the allegation, but BJD local unit president expressed his concern over the development of the last four days. He admitted that the party’s image has been blemished due to it.However, he maintained that the BJD supremo was being told about the development each day and hoped that the latter would take appropriate step at appropriate time.
But a BJD leader on condition of anonymity said a women leader involving her in a brawl and later being arrested and sent to jail is definitely a setback to the party. In order to avoid action against her by party chief, she has been plotting the drama of dharana through a few of her supporters, he maintained.