By Biswanath Dash
BHUBANESWAR: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bhubaneswar and Party’s National spokesperson, Aparajita Sarangi, on Saturday came down heavily on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for adopting double yardstick on COVID-19 guidelines in the State. The MP demanded to seal BJD office as it is not following COVID-19 guidelines.
Addressing presses meet at a road side place soon after the officials of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation led by zonal deputy commissioner Rabinarayan Jethy along with police sealed her officer, the IAS officer turned BJP Lok Sabha MP, alleged that every day, BJD party office here looking jam-packed while for Balasore and Tirtol bye polls, ruling regional party leaders are openly flouting COVID-19 guidelines but BMC and Police targeting her only to make their boss happy.
“Days back, BJD Leaders Pratap Jena and Debasis Samantary visited Jagatsinghpur, what happened there, everybody knows but nothing has happened as it was a matter of ruling BJD,” the MP Sarangi said apparently taking a dig at CMO and his advisors.
“A couple of days back, a minister of the state Cabinet and an MLA, who had tested positive for COVID-19, had participated in cremation of late Pradeep Maharathy at Swargadwar in Puri. I want to ask Mishra what was he doing at that time? Did he take up the matter with his two colleagues or did he write to the Chief Minister?” MP Sarangi said.
“Today, BMC sealed the office of the MP for next 15 days for the COVID-19 norms violation. The office will be sanitised before the next use,” reads an order. A group of Corona Warriors, including health workers, sanitation workers and ASHA workers lodged a complaint against her with the Bhubaneswar DCP demanding stern action against the Lok Sabha MP.
A team led by Bhubaneswar Municipal Commissioner (BMC) zonal deputy commissioner Rabinarayan Jethy along with police reached her office to carry out the order. Earlier, Odisha Minister of State (Home) Dibya Shankar Mishra wrote a letter to Union Minister of State (Home) Nityanand Rai opposing the act at of BJP MP. In the viral video, the MP was seen celebrating her birthday (October 8) in a huge gathering without wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
