Khurda: Chilika MLA Prasanta Jagadev, who often courts controversies for his strong-arm tactics, has yet again embroiled himself in another row wherein he was seen hurling abuses at a woman in a political event.
A purported video showing Jagadev hurling abuses at a woman at a political event has gone viral on various social media platforms recently.
In the video, Jagadev, who had been suspended from ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), was seen attending a workers’ meet of the party at Nandapur panchayat of Banpur block December 12.
Jagadev lost his cool and hurled abuses at a woman worker of the party when she raised certain issues at the meet. The ex-BJD lawmaker reportedly asked the woman to leave the place if she had no interest in lending an ear to his speech.
None of the BJD leaders present at the meeting raised any objections to Jagadev’s rude behaviour towards the woman worker. However, some women workers of the party expressed their displeasure over the incident.
Many locals, meanwhile, wondered how Jagadev, a suspended leader of BJD, could attend a workers’ meet of the party.
Despite repeated attempts, Jagadev and BJD’s Khurda district president Bibhuti Balabantaray could not be reached for their comments on the issue.
Notably, BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik suspended Jagadev from the party after he attacked Bharatiya Janata Party’s Balugaon zone president Niranjan Sethi and hurled casteist remarks against the saffron party leader.
Sethi was attacked when he had gone to the Notified Area Council (NAC) office for some official purpose regarding the delay of pensions.
While he was returning from the office, Jagadev arrived at the spot and attacked him. A video of the incident had also gone viral on social media platforms, showing the BJD MLA beating and slapping Sethi at a public place.
Police had registered a case in this regard against Jagadev.
PNN