BJD slams Odisha CM for making his conversation with West Bengal rape survivor public

Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, criticized Chief Minister Mohan Majhi for releasing a video of his conversation with the Odia medical student girl who was gang-raped in West Bengal’s Durgapur.

Addressing a press conference, the BJD’s women wing took strong exceptions to public disclosure of speeches, which the party described as a violation of Supreme Court rules.

“While women in the state continue to fall victim to such heinous crimes every day, the CM has shown little concern. While the incident in West Bengal is truly deplorable and painful, the manner in which Mr. Majhi recorded his conversation with the aggrieved public is even more condemnable,” the women leaders said.

“Despite repeated incidents of rape and gang rape in the state in the last 15 months, the CM has remained silent. His sudden interest in the West Bengal case is purely politically motivated. Both the State and National Women’s Commissions met the victim in West Bengal, but when it comes to Odisha, they have never shown any such initiative in similar cases,” said Chief Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo.

Ms. Deo said, “It is unfortunate that the BJP and the state government, instead of ensuring justice for the victims, are politicizing their pain. When BJP MLA Santosh Khatua made inappropriate remarks about a BJD leader, the matter was reported to both the State and National Women’s Commissions, but neither took any action.”

Similarly, senior General Secretary Lekhasri Samantsinghar said it felt like a scene of ‘rape tourism’ when BJP leaders, including former union minister and Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, rushed to West Bengal to meet the victim.

It is worth noting that Odisha sent a delegation of officials and the chairman of the State Women’s Commission to West Bengal to provide support to the rape survivor. Almost all senior BJP leaders have openly expressed concern over the gang rape of the Odia girl.

Government sources said the rape victim’s family members have pleaded with the government to facilitate their daughter’s transfer to any medical college in Odisha.