Bhubaneswar, Oct 4: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday clarified the lady Sradha issue was raised by the Leader of the Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra in the state Assembly.
BJP’s Bhubaneswar MP Aparjita Sarangi had also raised questions about the woman who had accompanied the Chief Minister during his visit to Vatican City.
In a statement in the Assembly here, Patnaik said Sradha is a physiotherapist sent by his late sister Gita Mehta to take care of his physical fitness.
The Chief Minister also clarified in the House that the woman has neither been allotted a government quarter nor her travel bill paid by the Odisha government as alleged by the Leader of the Opposition.
Both Jayanarayan Mishra and Aparjita Sarangi had questioned Sradha’s access to Naveen Niwas, the residence of the Chief Minister and asked why and how she accompanied him to the Vatican City.
While Mishra raised the issue in the House, Aparajita sought a reply on her X handle.
Mishra also wanted to know how she was allotted a government quarter and who footed her air travel bill.
The Chief Minister in a statement in the House said ‘’We should use the precious time of the House for public interest”.Â