Overview

• At least three FIRs were lodged at Nilgiri police station and a separate case was registered at Bhubaneswar’s Mahila Police Station under BNS sections on sexual harassment, insult to modesty, obscenity and defamation.
• BJD chief Naveen Patnaik and senior vice-president Pramila Mallik denounced the comments as reflecting a “sick mentality” and an affront to all women, demanding a public apology from CM Mohan Charan Majhi and the BJP.
• Lekhasri Samantasinghar wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X, urging him to uphold his ‘naari ka samman’ pledge by taking action against misogynistic elected representatives.
• BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal dismissed the allegations as part of a BJD “malicious conspiracy” and insisted that Khatua was being unfairly linked to an elephant poaching accusation.
• The dispute highlights deepening party tensions over gendered rhetoric and accountability in Odisha’s evolving political landscape.