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Speaker’s issue: Opposition urges Governor to intervene

Special Correspondent

Investigation by independent agency demanded

BHUBANESWAR: Opposition parties in Orissa on Friday sought intervention of Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare in the controversy over levelling of sexual harassment charges against Assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty.

A delegation led by Leader of the Opposition J.B. Patnaik met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan here and reiterated their demand for resignation of the Speaker.

The Opposition leaders also demanded that the matter should be probed by an independent agency and not by a House Committee of the State Assembly.

They also told the Governor that the city police were buying time and not registering a formal case on the basis of a complaint filed on behalf of suspended lady marshal of the Assembly Gayatri Panda accusing the Speaker of sexually harassing her at the workplace.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was trying his best to shield the Speaker who was facing serious charges of sexual harassment, the Opposition leaders submitted before Mr. Bhandare.

Meanwhile, workers of the youth wing of the Congress staged a demonstration outside the office of the Police Commissioner in the city demanding registration of a case against Mr. Mohanty and his immediate arrest.

The women’s police station where Ms. Panda’s complaint was filed by a group of women activists on Thursday had not registered a First Information Report (FIR) basing on the plea till Friday evening.

Sources said that police were trying to establish the authenticity of Ms. Panda’s signature on the one-page complaint. A case would be registered if the signature of Ms. Panda on the complaint was found to be authentic.

On the other hand, two separate rallies were held by the ruling Biju Janata Dal and Opposition Congress in Puri, home constituency of Mr. Mohanty who belonged to the ruling Biju Janata Dal.

While the BJD workers who participated in their party rally said that charges against Mr. Mohanty was the outcome of a conspiracy hatched against him, the Congress workers demanded that the Speaker be arrested on the basis of Ms. Panda’s complaint.

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