The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday withdrew its order of sealing the office of Bhubaneswar BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi.

On October 10, the BMC had sealed the MP’s office for 15 days after a video showing Sarangi celebrating her birthday with a large number of women supporters with no Covid-19 precautions went viral.

“In pursuance of a decision taken by the BMC to open all closed-down shops, commercial establishments and institutions in view of the ensuing Puja celebration, the sealing order for the MP’s office at Palaspalli is hereby withdrawn,” read a BMC letter.

The BMC also asked Sarangi to make her office premises available for sanitisation immediately and ensure adherence to all Covid-19 guidelines in the premises.

Meanwhile on the day, Sarangi severely criticised the BMC for closure of her office alleging that the civic body closed her office-cum-residence while it had no such power under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

At a news conference, she claimed that her supporters seen in the video had been allowed entry to her office only after observance of the Covid protocol. Neither she and nor any of her well-wishers has been detected with Covid yet.

Quoting a Government notification, she said a building can be closed for 48 hours only in case of large-scale Covid outbreak.

“The sealing of my office-cum-residence for a period of 15 days amounted to forcible dispossession from my legally-held possession. This has been done with a malicious intent, contrary to the spirit of law and is in clear violation of the provisions in law.

This has caused me pecuniary hardship, mental agony and has been done to malign my image before the society. I reserve my right to claim adequate compensation from the BMC for such excessive use of authority beyond its jurisdiction, to initiate defamation proceeding and initiate such other legal proceedings as may be suitable,” Sarangi said.