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Congress suspends its MLA

BHUBANESWAR: After the ruling Biju Janata Dal, it is now the turn of the main Opposition Congress to face a controversy pertaining to sexual harassment.

The Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee on Thursday suspended party legislator from Bijepur Assembly segment Subal Sahu from the party.

A woman belonging to a minority community had alleged a few days ago that Mr. Sahu had sexually harassed her in his official residence in the capital city in December 2006.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena placed Mr. Sahu under suspension with immediate effect, pending submission of a report by a committee which was already looking into the allegations against the legislator.

“PCC president has instituted a committee of inquiry which is investigating in detail the alleged episode and on its report the final decision of disciplinary proceedings will be taken,” said Samir Kumar Routray, general secretary of OPCC, in a statement.

The woman had lodged a complaint with the Bijepur police in Bargarh district on May 25 alleging that Mr. Sahu, who promised to find a job for her, had raped her in his residence.

Mr. Sahu had denied the charge, and said that he was being made a victim of a political conspiracy against him as elections were round the corner.

While the police were investigating the matter, pressure started mounting on the Congress on Thursday when Biju Janata Dal’s women’s wing staged demonstrations in Bargarh town as well as in the Capital city demanding action against Mr. Sahu.

The dharna that the party organised in the city was led by president of the BJD women’s wing and Women and Child Welfare Minister Pramila Mallik.

The BJD had faced a similar embarrassing situation in March this year when a lady marshal of the State Assembly levelled charges of sexual harassment against the then Speaker Maheswar Mohanty.

Mr. Mohanty had stepped down as Speaker and the then Information and Public Relations Minister Debasis Nayak, who also belonged to the BJD, was dropped from the Ministry in the wake of the controversy.

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