Kalahandi district BJD president Balabhadra Majhi on Sunday questioned the presence of AICC spokesperson and Kalahandi Congress MP Bhakta Charan Das at a recent Palli Sabha in the Niyamgiri area in the district.
He alleged that Das had influenced the villagers on the issue of bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri Hills to decide the fate of the Vedanta alumina refinery at lanjigarah. He urged the district administration to take legal action against Das for his presence along with his supporters at the first Palli Sabha in the district.
Majhi, a former Minister, told a news conference here that in April 18 the Supreme Court ordered that tribal inhabitants would decide the fate of the proposed bauxite mining project through Palli Saabhas. Though there is no provision of presence of outsiders, even including local MlAs and MPs, at the Palli Sabhas, Das, who has been opposing the project through his Green Kalahandi forum, was present during the first Palli Sabha in the district and influenced the innocent tribals against the project.
Even, Das’ supporters continued to attend the last three Palli Sabhas in the district in the presence of the Supreme Court representatives illegally, Majhi alleged.
It may be noted that Das earlier asserted that there was nothing wrong in his being present at the Palli Sabha as he is the representative of the district as their elected MP.