Orissa Speaker Maheswar Mohanty resigned, Minister sacked

Under pressure from the opposition and public over the sexual harassment charges levelled against him by a woman Assembly marshal, Gayatri Panda, Orissa Speaker Maheswar Mohanty finally resigned with a heavy heart. He took this decision, after the police charged him under several sections of the IPC. Mr. Mohanty submitted his resignation to Deputy Speaker Prahallad Dora.

In a dramatic twist to the tale, Orissa Minister of Information and Public Relations, Debashish Nayak was sacked by the Chief Minister for allegedly instigating the woman to hurl the allegation. According to a local TV channel, Mr. Nayak's car was caught on camera outside the residence of Gayatri Panda during the night hours.

The latest development involving the Minister has given credibility to the Speaker's claim that charge against him was part of a conspiracy in which influential people were involved. Even a group of women activists took out a rally in support of Maheswar Mohanty in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Mohanty said that he wanted a unanimous decision of the assembly on the probe of the charges against him, but unanimity was not possible and he resigned to protect the dignity of Speaker's office.