An FIR has been registered against Nilagiri BJP MLA Santosh Khatua for his alleged derogatory remarks against BJD leader Lekhasri Samantsinghar.
The FIR has been lodged based on a complaint filed by Lekhasri.
“Khatua has not only demeaned me but has cast aspersions on every woman of Odisha and India as well as all the women political workers irrespective of party affiliations. He has stooped to such a low in his utterances that it’s difficult on my part to narrate,” Lekhasri, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Balasore, said in her complaint.
In a post on X, Lekhasri urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against the BJP MLA.
Sharing a video in which the MLA is using the “sexist slur”, Lekhasri wrote on X, “Dear Modi Ji @narendramodi, Please listen to your MLA from Odisha talking about women politicians.Such attitudes towards women by your elected politicians are the root cause of increased crime against women in Odisha. Your promise for women will sound hollow if you fail to take action against such misogynistic elected representatives.”
Condemning the BJP MLA’s remarks, former chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik questioned the silence of the ruling party leaders.
“Attempting to assassinate a woman’s character in public as a political response is a reflection of a perverse 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. Not a single leader has come forward to condemn such reprehensible remarks or hold the MLA accountable,” Patnaik posted on X.
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Khatua, who was in the BJD, switched to the BJP after he was denied a party ticket in 2024. He was elected to the state Assembly for the first time in 2024.
The FIR has been registered at the Mahila Police Station under Section 75 (2) (sexual harassment), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 296 (obscene acts in public places) and 356 (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, said official sources.
