The presence of Congress MP from Kalahandi and AICC spokesperson Bhakta Das at the palli sabha held at Palberi village along the Niyamgiri hill slope has drawn flak from the pro-mining outfit Lanjigarh Vikash Parishad (LVP) and raised questions on the fairness of the village council meeting.
Das, accompanied by his supporters to the village, was spotted sharing the dais with the Kalahandi district judge appointed to oversee the gram sabha proceedings.
"This is not only a blatant case of interference but also raises the basic question of the legal validity of such a farce", said Shridhar Pesnia, president of LVP.