Naveen Patnaik raises Keonjhar case in Odisha Assembly, slams BJP govt over women's dignity
Synopsis
In a session meant to celebrate women's role in democracy, Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik turned the spotlight on the Keonjhar skeleton exhumation case — where a tribal family allegedly had to dig up a woman's remains just to access her bank dues. With BBC and New York Post coverage cited on the floor of the House, Patnaik's intervention exposed a sharp contradiction between the state government's women-empowerment rhetoric and ground-level administrative failures.
Key Takeaways
Naveen Patnaik raised the Keonjhar skeleton exhumation case in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday during a Special Session on women's participation in democracy.
Deceased tribal woman Kalara Munda's family was allegedly forced to exhume her skeleton to prove her death and claim bank dues.
Patnaik alleged the incident drew coverage from the BBC and the New York Post , damaging Odisha's international image.
The incident occurred in Chief Minister Mohan Majhi's home district of Keonjhar .
BJD raised women's reservation in local bodies to 50% in 2011 and gave 33% Lok Sabha tickets to women in 2019 and 2024 .
Patnaik criticised the BJP for linking the Women's Reservation Bill to the delimitation exercise , calling it a clandestine move.
Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Thursday, 1 May 2025, raised the Keonjhar skeleton exhumation incident in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, asserting it has severely tarnished the state's image at both the national and international level. He made the remarks during a Special Session convened on women's participation in Indian democracy.
The Keonjhar Incident
Patnaik described a deeply disturbing case in which the family of a deceased tribal woman, Kalara Munda, was allegedly forced to exhume her skeleton and carry it to a bank branch to prove her death — simply to claim her rightful financial dues. "Odisha's head hangs in shame as a woman's skeleton had to be exhumed by her family and carried to the bank to prove her death in order to claim her rightful dues," said Patnaik.
According to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president, Kalara Munda's brother had visited bank officials multiple times after her death to complete necessary formalities, but was allegedly harassed by officials demanding proof of death. The case, Patnaik noted, occurred in Chief Minister Mohan Majhi's home district of Keonjhar, making it especially troubling given the session's focus on women's issues.
International Attention and Government Accountability
Patnaik alleged that the incident had drawn sharp international coverage, citing reports by the New York Post and the BBC. "This is what the world is reading about us," he said, adding that the episode reflected "complete apathy and zero accountability" of the administration. He also referenced a travel advisory reportedly issued by the United States last year, cautioning its citizens against visiting Odisha, and argued that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had forfeited its moral authority to speak on women's dignity and empowerment.
"The double engine Sarkar with banking as a central subject and an insensitive state government have utterly failed the people of our state. Such inhumane governance has never been witnessed in the history of Odisha," Patnaik alleged.
BJD's Record on Women's Reservation
Responding to the motion moved by Chief Minister Majhi, Patnaik underlined the BJD's track record on women's political representation. He stated that Biju Patnaik had made Odisha one of the first states to implement 33% reservation for women in local bodies, and that his own government raised it to 50% in 2011. The BJD, he added, gave 33% of Lok Sabha tickets to women candidates in both 2019 and 2024.
Criticism of Women's Reservation Bill Linkage to Delimitation
While affirming the BJD's support for the Women's Reservation Bill — already passed in Parliament — Patnaik sharply criticised the manner in which the legislation was introduced, alleging that the ruling BJP had linked it to the delimitation exercise. He called it a "clandestine move" to push delimitation without adequate public debate.
"I am again repeating that history will not forgive us if we support this delimitation. I assure the people of Odisha that as long as I am here, no one will be able to deprive Odisha of its rightful dues," Patnaik said. The BJP has not yet issued a formal response to the specific allegations raised during the session.
Point of View
He forced a direct confrontation between the BJP government's stated agenda and an internationally reported administrative failure. The case is not merely a bureaucratic lapse; it is a symptom of the systemic exclusion of tribal communities from basic financial entitlements. The delimitation critique, woven into the same speech, signals that BJD intends to fight the Women's Reservation Bill's implementation timeline as a proxy battle over Odisha's political weight in a post-delimitation Parliament — a concern that cuts across party lines in smaller states.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Keonjhar skeleton exhumation case raised by Naveen Patnaik?
The Keonjhar case involves the family of a deceased tribal woman, Kalara Munda, who allegedly had to exhume her skeleton and carry it to a bank to prove her death in order to claim her financial dues. Naveen Patnaik raised it in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday, alleging that bank officials repeatedly harassed her brother by demanding proof of death despite multiple visits.
Why did Naveen Patnaik raise this case in the Odisha Assembly?
Patnaik raised the case during a Special Session on women's participation in Indian democracy, arguing it exposed the BJP government's apathy and zero accountability on women's welfare. He noted the incident occurred in Chief Minister Mohan Majhi's home district of Keonjhar, making it especially contradictory given the session's theme.
What is BJD's position on the Women's Reservation Bill?
The BJD supports the Women's Reservation Bill, which has already been passed in Parliament. However, Patnaik has criticised the BJP for linking its implementation to the delimitation exercise, calling it a clandestine move to push delimitation without proper public discussion.
What is Odisha's track record on women's reservation under BJD?
Under Naveen Patnaik's government, Odisha raised women's reservation in local bodies from 33% to 50% in 2011. The BJD also allocated 33% of its Lok Sabha tickets to women candidates in both the 2019 and 2024 general elections.
Has the Keonjhar incident received international media coverage?
According to Naveen Patnaik's statement in the Assembly, the incident was reported by the BBC and the New York Post. He also referenced a US travel advisory reportedly issued last year cautioning American citizens against visiting Odisha, though NationPress has not independently verified the current status of that advisory.
