Bhubaneswar: City Mayor Sulochana Das faced protests again on Friday as she inaugurated a newly built office for Ward No-39 in Nayapalli. Upon her arrival there, she was confronted by several locals showing black flags and placards, clearly expressing their discontent. The uproar against Mayor Das stems from her recent remarks concerning Bangladeshi residents accused of residing in the Capital City. Amid the rising tensions, the BJD leader has publicly stated that she will adhere to whatever directive the government issues on the issue.
Locals have said they are opposing the statement of the Mayor. Who is accommodating the Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in Bhubaneswar? If the foreign nationals have a share of our resources, then what do the local residents do, they asked. The Mayor has become vocal in support of those who are posing threats to people’s safety and security in Bhubaneswar, an agitating youth told. Bhubaneswar residents had voted the Mayor for their safety and wellbeing. Hence, so long as she would not apologise for this, they will continue their protests, the youth added.
Worth mentioning, a heated debate has been ignited over recent remarks made by Mayor Sulochana Das concerning Bangladeshi residents in the Capital City. The controversy led to protests on Thursday at the Ward 14 office in Niladri Vihar, where local citizens showed black flags protesting her allegedly objectionable comments. When several eligible residents have not been given voter ID and ration cards yet, how were the Bangladeshi nationals granted cards during the previous BJD-led government, the agitating locals questioned.
