Bhubaneswar, January 10: Former Odisha Health Minister Naba Das’s son Vishal Das who was detained by the Chhattisgarh Police on Friday, was released in the afternoon.
With Odisha Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s letter to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Vishal was released from the Mahasamund Police in the afternoon.
The police had detained Vishal Das late at night on Thursday.The detentions took place on the eve of a crucial no-confidence vote against the Chairman of Odisha’s Kirmira block which was scheduled for Friday morning.
Apart from Vishal, who is a Samiti member and Sarpanch of Kirmira Block in Jharsuguda district, several Samiti members and a village Sarpanch were also detained by the Saraipali police before the no-confidence motion.
Vishal alleged that their detention was illegal and called for intervention. “We have been illegally detained at a police station in Chhattisgarh. Our lives are in danger. We urge the Odisha government and the Director General of Police to step in and ensure our safety,” he stated.
Naba Das’s daughter and former Odisha MLA Dipali Das also accused the police of acting under political pressure.
“The no-confidence proceedings against the Kirmira block Chairman were scheduled for 10:30 a.m. today. However, Jharsuguda police, reportedly acting on the SP’s instructions detained our supporters around 1 a.m. and handed them over to Chhattisgarh police. When my brother went to inquire about their situation, he was also detained,” Dipali claimed.
She also criticized the BJP and accused them of trying to undermine democracy. “This reflects the BJP’s fear of losing the no-confidence vote. They are resorting to undemocratic tactics to silence opposition voices,” she said.
However, police were yet to comment on the matter and more details in this regard are awaited.
