Woman asked by police to remove black colour innerwear:BJP MLA

BJP woman legislator Radharani Panda today alleged in the Odisha Assembly that a lady was asked to remove her black colour innerwear before being allowed to enter the venue of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's meeting at Bargarh.
Panda's allegation created ripples in the House after she was given an opportunity to speak on the issue of security personnel asking girls and women to remove black 'Odhani' (stole) before allowing them to attend a government programme attended by the Chief Minister in Sundergarh district on December 4.
"Even a woman was asked to remove her black petticoat to attend the CM's meeting held earlier at Bargarh," Panda alleged adding she came to know about the incident of November 25 from media reports.

She also alleged that a 5-year-old child died due to suffocation at the Chief Minister's meeting at Bargarh.
The woman MLA from Brajrajnagar further alleged that a policeman forcibly removed her black shawl while she was proceeding to Chief Minister's meeting at Jharsuguda on November 23.
"Is it respect towards women under this government," Panda wondered adding that she went to the meeting as per the invitation.

"I felt disrespected and humiliated at the meeting of the chief minister," Panda said as the ruling party members continued to disrupt her speech.
She also alleged that women's dignity was dented at the CM's meeting in Bargarh, Jharsuguda and Sundergarh.

Making an intervention, government chief whip Ananta Das raised question as to why the woman MLA did not raise the issue earlier as the winter session of the assembly began on December 1.
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress
said: "Though Congress and BJP are poles apart ideologically, I interfere in a bid to give protection to opposition members. If Chief Minister is shocked over Sundergarh incident what prevented him saying sorry to woman MLA Radharani Panda?"
Denouncing the Speaker's action of not giving an opportunity to Panda to raise her issue earlier, Mishra said, "The House was adjourned for 45 minutes while waiting for the chief minister to make a statement on the issue yesterday."

Mishra said the Brajrajnagar MLA alleged that she was invited to the government meeting where she faced misbehaviour.
"Nobody should tolerate such incidents. How can police do this without direction from the chief minister or chief minister's office. No police will venture to touch a woman MLA. This is not democracy, rather dictatorship. Heaven will not fall if she (Panda) is allowed to speak in the House," Mishra said.
Earlier, BJP members led by Panda sat on dharna in well of the House after Speaker Niranjan Pujari denied permission to her to speak in the House. The House was adjourned at least thrice due to pandemonium seeking permission of Speaker to allow Panda to speak.

Finally, the Speaker allowed Panda to speak even though there was no zero hour in the House today.
Pujari said the zero hour was today suspended as the House will take up discussion on the demand of expenditure of Home and General Administration departments.