Bhubaneswar: Odia Jatra (opera) item girl Rani Panda has questioned the role of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Commissionerate Police and Jatra organising committee at Khandagiri Jatra Mahotsav as one more case of obscene dance performance was reported from the annual fair today.
Panda quizzed that why are the authorities that banned her and her troupe ‘Jatra Sachidanandam’ from playing opera at the Mahotsav on allegations of performing obscene dance not taking any action now as the law should be same for all.
“You defamed and embarrassed me in front of a large audience and now you are performing obscene dance. Are the audience not watching it? Are women not watching it? Are they not embarrassed?” she seethed.
Panda further questioned who has allowed the Jatra troupe to perform obscene dance and under whose patronage are the item girls doing it.
Earlier today, a delegation of Odisha Nari Sachetana Manch visited the office of Twin City Police Commissioner Sudhanshu Sarangi here and later lodged an FIR at Khandagiri Police Station alleging even after imposing a ban on Rani Panda and her Jatra troupe for obscene dance performance, why did another Jatra troupe come up with similar performance.
A member of the manch, Dolly Jena, said that if the Jatra troupes are showing or displaying such obscene and vulgar performance, the managers should display an only for adult sign as it is not suitable to watch with family.
“There is a censor board for movies and they are watched inside closed doors, but the Jatra is performed on a field in front of audiences of different gender and age. As children are accompanied by their parents, they are forced to close their eyes during such performance,” she added.
Jena asserted that if the Jatra organisers do not heed to their demands, they will take to streets in coming days.
On the other hand, the Jatra organising committee denied the allegations. A member of the committee, identified as Guguli invited the members of Odisha Nari Sachetana Manch to attend a show to find out if any kind of obscene performance is displayed there or not.