Privilege notices served to Sambalpur Collector, SP ‘unlawful’ detention of MPs
By Suresh Kumar Dash
Sambalpur, May 5: The Union ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions has issued breach of privilege notices to Odisha’s Sambalpur district collector Ananya Das and the superintendent of police (SP) B Gangadhar for their alleged role in the breach of privileges of Union water resources minister Bishweswar Tudu and three other Lok Sabha members – Basanta Kumar Panda of Kalahandi, Suresh Pujari of Bargarh and Jual Oram of Sundergarh.
The notices were issued in connection with the alleged “unlawful” detention of the lawmakers along with the Odisha state BJP unit president Manmohan Samal by the Sambalpur district administration at Thelkoli police station on April 18.
The lawmakers were detained when they were on their way to meet the victims of ‘group clashes’ that erupted during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in Sambalpur city.
As per reports, following the detention, BJP lawmakers Suresh Pujari, Jual Oram, and Basanta Kumar Panda alleged a breach of privilege by the Sambalpur SP and Collector before the Lok Sabha Speaker demanding action against them.
Taking the matter seriously, the ministry of personnel, public grievances, and pensions served breach of privilege notices to the concerned officials and sought a report within 15 days.
“We were on our way to Sambalpur from Jharsuguda to take stock of the situation when the district administration stopped us and unlawfully detained us at Thelkoli police station. The Collector does not have any rights to stop the lawmakers when they are lawfully going to meet people without causing any inconveniences to any community or affecting law and order. We were going to meet the people when the curfew was relaxed. However, the police detained us saying that the curfew is not relaxed for people’s representatives. The order of the Collector is illegal and it was a clear attempt to infringe on our privileges,” lawmaker Suresh Pujari said.
On the evening of the very day of their detention, all the detained BJP leaders were released by the police.
