News Brief
(Credit: @Sulochana_Apa/X)
A formal complaint against Bhubaneswar Mayor and senior BJD leader Sulochana Das has been filed by a local organization Anchalika Surakhya Mancha accusing her of making statements allegedly in support of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
The FIR was lodged on Sunday (25 May) at the Capital Police Station, as per a report by OTV.
According to a TOI report, the mayor, a few days back, had allegedly told the media that the safety and security of the country come first, but the government should consider the livelihood of those people living in the city with a valid ration card and other documents for years now.
The mayor, however, refuted the allegations by saying that her statement was taken out of context. "I said that the country's security is always a priority, and we will abide by what the govt decides," Das said.
Later, BJP state unit members organized a protest demonstration from Raj Bhawan to Sishu Bhawan demanding the resignation of the mayor. BJP MLA Babu Singh from Ekamra said that her statement was completely unacceptable.
"She seems to be in favour of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living in the city. How can she allow them to live here without valid documents?" BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan asked.
The controversy has sparked widespread protests across the city. Last week, black flag demonstrations erupted at the Ward 14 office in Niladri Vihar.
Protests intensified on when Das inaugurated the new office for Ward 39 in Nayapalli, where locals again waved black flags and held placards expressing their outrage.