Mayor faces flak over remarks on B’desh immigrants

Bhubaneswar: Mayor Sulochana Das on Thursday faced protest for her alleged remark in support of Bangladeshi immigrants in the city. Protestors blocked the mayor's path and showed a black flag to her during a ward-level grievance hearing programme at Niladri Vihar.A few days back, the mayor had told the media that the safety and security of the country come first, but the govt should consider the livelihood of those people living in the city with a valid ration card and other documents for years now.The statement did not go well with the demonstrators, who said the mayor is supporting Bangladeshi immigrants."The mayor is seen to be in favour of illegal immigrants. For this reason, she wants Bangladeshis living for years in the city to stay here only. She is less worried about the safety and security of the country," said a protester.The mayor, however, refuted the allegations said that her statement was taken out of context. "I said that the country's security is always a priority, and we will abide by what the govt decides," Das said. Later, members of BJP state unit held a protest rally from Raj Bhawan to Sishu Bhawan, demanding the mayor's resignation. BJP's Ekamra MLA, Babu Singh, said being the first citizen of Bhubaneswar, such a statement from her is completely unacceptable. "Here we are talking about the country's security, but the mayor seems least concerned about the city's security," Singh said.BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan said the mayor has made a wrong statement. "She seems to be in favour of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living in the city. How can she allow them to live here without valid documents?" Pradhan asked.