Odisha: BJD Suspends Shreemayee Mishra Over Anti-Party Activities

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has suspended Shreemayee Mishra, General Secretary of its Women’s Affairs wing, citing anti-party activities. The action, announced through an office order on Tuesday, also covered two district-level leaders, Subas Chandra Sai, former Block President of Kaptipada and Prabir Chandra Sai, former District Secretary of Mayurbhanj.

Among the three, Mishra’s suspension has drawn the most attention. A prominent and articulate face of the BJD’s women’s wing, she was once considered an active voice in the organisation.

Reacting sharply to the move, Shreemayee said, “I have never compromised with my self-respect and dignity, nor will I ever do it. For the past one year I have not been with the party, I have not even renewed my membership. If such a party suspends me, people will only laugh.”

The suspension follows recent controversies around her social media posts. In one, she invoked the Mahabharata, likening former Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik to Dhritarashtra, suggesting silence in the face of wrongdoing. The remarks triggered a political storm.

In another post, she wrote about ‘fake monks’, which many interpreted as a veiled attack on former bureaucrat and ex-BJD leader VK Pandian. Mishra argued that society traditionally revered monks for renouncing worldly pleasures, but when this principle is flouted, such individuals must be seen as ‘fake monks’.

Her remarks and subsequent suspension have stirred debate within Odisha’s political circles, highlighting fissures in the BJD.