Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Manmath Routray has landed in fresh controversy after the Bhubaneswar Cyber Police registered a case against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

The action followed a complaint filed by the BJP Legal Cell, accusing Routray of posting defamatory and misleading content on social media targeting the two leaders.

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Booked under BNS and IT Act

Police have booked Routray under Sections 294(2), 296, 353(2), and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 67 of the IT Act.

The BJP’s complaint claimed that Routray’s posts were derogatory in nature and had the potential to “mislead the public and incite disharmony.”

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Evidence submitted with complaint

The BJP enclosed videographs and photocopies of the alleged posts as evidence to the Cyber Police for necessary action. The party maintained that the content was published with the intent to harm the reputation of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister.

Manmath Routray’s political journey

Manmath Routray, a former Air India pilot, joined politics in 2023 after resigning from his aviation career. He contested the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections as the BJD candidate but was defeated by BJP’s Aparajita Sarangi by a margin of 35,152 votes.