The Odisha MLA said he is ready to marry his fiancee in the next 60 days. (Representational)
A day after his fiancee lodged a complaint of cheating as he failed to turn up at their wedding, ruling BJD's Tirtol MLA Bijaya Shankar Das on Sunday said that he is ready to marry her in the next 60 days.
The woman has also claimed that the legislator's family members had been discouraging him to take the plunge, and even tried to threaten and talk her out of the alliance.
Mr Das has been booked under various sections of the IPC, including 420 (cheating), 195A (threatening any person to give false evidence) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy).
The couple had applied for registration of their marriage on May 17, 2022. The woman along with her family members arrived at the registrar's office, but the lawmaker did not turn up.
"Yes, I am ready to marry her in the next 60 days. One month has passed since the application was made for the registration of the marriage. I still have 60 days. My mother is ill, and I will do what is required of me within stipulated time," Mr Das (30) told reporters.
On the allegation of cheating, Mr Das denied it and said, "I have never said no to the marriage. In fact, I have announced it before the media and the public. So, the question of cheating does not arise."
The woman claimed that she was in a relationship with Mr Das for three years, and he had promised to marry her on the scheduled date.
Sources close to the MLA's family said that Das, son of late BJD leader and former minister late Bishnu Charan Das, was in a relationship with the woman for quite some time.
Differences had cropped up between the two and the legislator was apparently reluctant to get married to her.
Apprehending betrayal, she uploaded some of their pictures on social media, following which the MLA agreed to the wedding, the sources said.
Meanwhile, opposition BJP and Congress have demanded a neutral investigation into the allegations made by the woman.
"It is a habit of the ruling party to shield its MLAs. We demand a neutral investigation," said state BJP general secretary Prithiwiraj Harichandan.
The Congress, too, sought an impartial inquiry into the allegations.
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