Bhubaneswar, Sept 27: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday recalled an incident that happned just around one month before the BJP came to power in the state, where an inspector asked him to "get out" of a police station.
Majhi made the remarks while inaugurating the two-day collectors’ conference here at Lok Seva Bhavan.
Residents of Raisuan and Gopinathpur panchayats in his constituency, Keonjhar, had staged a protest over drinking water crisis by blocking NH-20 on May 2. When Majhi was with the protesters then inspector in-Charge, Trinath Sethi, invited the agitators to the police station. When Majhi reached the police station, he questioned his presence there, disregarding his role as an MLA.
"The inspector questioned my presence at the police station, stating the Model Code of Conduct was in effect, and told me to ‘get out’ or he would arrest me," Majhi said.
“I felt humiliated and staged a sit-in outside the police station demanding accountability for the inspector’s actions. Thanks to Lord Jagannath’s blessings, I became the CM. I could only imagine the inspector’s situation afterwards. I forgave him, as he had acted under political pressure," Majhi said recalling the incident and emphasized that police stations should treat citizens properly.
Majhi shared his personal experiences from his 27-year political career with district collectors and urged to use their authority to address the challenges faced by the common people in the state.
“When I was a Sarpanch 27 years ago, people came to me with various grievances. Even after 24 years of BJD rule, these issues remain the same,” the Chief Minister said.
He emphasised the government’s unwavering stance against corruption.
