A social worker allegedly forced a Padma Shri awardee to dance at a hospital while she was admitted there in Odisha's Cuttack. Kamala Pujari, 71, had been admitted to the hospital to treat a kidney ailment.
Odisha's Paraja tribal community, to which the Padma Shri awardee belongs, has sought action against the social worker for making Ms Pujari dance in the intensive care unit, or ICU, of the government hospital.
A video of the senior citizen dancing in the hospital was shared widely on social media. PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
The social worker, Mamata Behera, was also seen dancing with Ms Pujari before she was discharged from the hospital on Monday.
"I never wanted to dance but was forced to do it. I repeatedly denied, but she (Mamata Behera) did not listen. I was sick and got tired," Ms Pujari told reporters in her home district Koraput.
The tribal community association chief Harish Muduli said they will protest on the streets if the state government did not act against the social worker.
Ms Pujari received the Padma Shri in 2019 for promoting organic farming and preserving over 100 varieties of indigenous seeds.
She was admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had wished her a speedy recovery.
The hospital authorities said Ms Pujari was admitted to a special cabin and not the ICU.
"The woman who allegedly made Pujari dance used to visit her at the special cabin," hospital registrar (administration) Dr Abinash Rout said.
Ms Pujari's attendant Rajeeb Hial said she does not know Ms Behera, who on social media is seen in selfies with the Padma Shri awardee.
Ms Behera said she had no bad intention behind the act, and only wanted to "shun Pujari's laziness".
The Paraja community comes under Scheduled Tribes, comprising 4 per cent of Odisha's tribal population.
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