BJD demands apology as BJP MLA's remarks trigger political storm in Odisha, FIRs filed

Bhubaneswar: Ruling BJP MLA Santosh Khatua on Thursday courted controversy after allegedly making 'derogatory' remarks against a prominent woman BJD leader, prompting a strong backlash and a demand for an apology from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the saffron party.

BJD’s senior general secretary and spokesperson Lekhashree Samantasinghar has also drawn the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by tagging a letter in her X post.

Khatua, a lawmaker from Nilgiri assembly constituency in Balasore district, in a statement to certain television channels allegedly made "derogatory" remarks on Samantasinghar’s character.

Meanwhile, at least three FIRs were filed at Nilgiri police station on Thursday evening by separate persons — including two women — accusing Khatua of making derogatory and objectionable remarks against the woman.

"Dear Modi Ji @narendramodi, Please listen to your MLA from Odisha talking about women politicians. This is true blood BJP neta giving true salute to women,” Samantasinghar wrote.

"I know you have very competent and intelligent Odia officers in @PMOIndia and Party. Please ask them to translate for you. After listening to it, we will see if you still have the motivation to talk about ‘naari ka samman’ or ‘Operation Sindoor’."

"Your promise for women will sound hollow if you fail to take action against such misogynistic elected representatives," Samantasinghar stated.

The controversy started from a press conference by Samantasinghar on Wednesday, where she accused Khatua of involvement in the killing of a tusker and theft of its tusks in Balasore's Nilgiri area on June 15. She also called the BJP MLA a "thief" and a "dacoit."

In what appeared to be a retaliatory statement made to certain television channels, Khatua allegedly made remarks on Samantasinghar’s character, which were widely condemned. Attempts to contact the Nilgiri legislator failed as his phone remained switched off after the interview.

Khatua's remarks, which went viral in social media, sparked a statewide outrage over the language used by a lawmaker.

However, PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the viral video.

Leader of the opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik strongly denounced the BJP MLA’s remark and called upon people to oppose such kind of words against a woman.

"Otherwise, as a state, we will fail before our daughters and mothers," he said.

In a post on X, Patnaik said: "Attempting to assassinate a woman’s character in public as a political response is a reflection of a sick mentality and is aimed at suppressing women’s voices. It suggests that all women should remain silent. The most distressing aspect is the profound silence of BJP leaders." He added, "Not a single leader has come forward to condemn such reprehensible remarks or hold the MLA accountable. This behaviour and the silence of all concerned clearly reveal the stance of the ruling party in public.” At a press conference on Thursday, Pramila Mallik, the Opposition chief whip in the Odisha Assembly and BJD senior vice-president, condemned Khatua’s comments and accused the BJP of obstructing women’s participation in politics.

"BJP MLA Khatua has used extremely hateful, ugly, insulting and low-quality language towards Dr. Lekhashree Samantasinghar. If such language is used against a woman, it is never acceptable in a civilised society," Mallik said.

"There are also women leaders and elected women representatives in the BJP. Has the BJP, which claims to be a party with a difference, trained its MLAs to speak this way about women?" she asked.

Mallik further asserted that the remarks were not just personal but an affront to all women, and demanded a public apology.

"Khatua’s remarks are not directed at one woman alone—they are an insult to the entire women fraternity. Therefore, CM Mohan Charan Majhi and the BJP must apologise to the women of Odisha," she added.

Responding to the allegations, BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal defended Khatua, claiming that he is being falsely implicated in the elephant poaching case.

"Nilgiri MLA is being falsely dragged into the elephant killing case. The BJD has done a PhD in making false allegations," Biswal said in a statement.

He added that four people have already been arrested in connection with the elephant deaths at Kuldiha Sanctuary, and those apprehended were habitual offenders.

"Even during the BJD’s tenure, elephants were killed. This is nothing but a conspiracy to malign the image of BJP legislators," he alleged.