Naveen Patnaik writes to Chhattisgarh CM on detention of BJD leader Vishal Das

VIshal Das and others were released after issuing them notice following a complaint against them by the manager of a Chhattisgarh hotel

Updated on: Jan 10, 2025, 19:45:49 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik on Friday asked Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai to ensure release of former state minister’s son Vishal Das, and several panchayat representatives who were allegedly detained by the Mahasamund police in the neighbouring state.

Naveen Patnaik said Vishal Das and 12 members of Kirimira panchayat samiti of Jharsuguda district had been detained at the Saraipali police station (Facebook/policestationsaraipali)

In a letter to Sai, Patnaik said Vishal Das and 12 members of Kirimira panchayat samiti of Jharsuguda district had been detained at the Saraipali police station in Mahasamund district ahead of a meeting at the panchayat samiti where a no-confidence motion was to be taken up. “But they could not attend the same as they have been detained from yesterday midnight along with Bishal Das, son of a former cabinet minister in Odisha. I request you to get them released immediately,” he said in the letter.

Police said Das and others were detained following a complaint filed against them by the manager of a hotel in Mahasamund district who accused them of trespassing and vandalising his premises. They were released on Friday afternoon after issuing them notice.

Vishal is son of former Odisha health minister Naba Das, who was shot dead by an assistant sub-inspector of police in Jharsuguda district two years ago.

His sister and former BJD MLA from Jharsuguda, Deepali Das alleged that they were detained without due process to sabotage the no-confidence motion.

“Odisha police detained some members of Kirmira panchayat samiti and their family members. But without any legal procedure, the case was later handed over to Chhattisgarh Police. The Mohan Majhi government is so scared of the democratic process that it has illegally detained the sarpanch and Samiti members,” she alleged. To be sure, the voting for the no-confidence motion against Kirmira Panchayat Samiti chairperson Krushnapriya Sahu was called off on Friday due to lack of quorum.

The BJP said it had nothing to do with Vishal’s detention. “The Chhattisgarh police should explain their reasons for detaining Vishal. Our party is not involved in the matter,” said BJP leader Biranchi Tripathy.

The no-confidence motion against the Kirimira panchayat samiti chairperson comes amid desertions by BJD PRI members after Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the state in June last year.

In the 2022 panchayat polls, BJD swept the elections winning 766 out of 852 zila parishad seats, that are fought on party symbols. The same year, BJD also won the urban local body elections, with 73 out of 105 municipalities and notified area councils.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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