BJP,Questions on Naveen’s Silence (?).
Bureau,Odishabarta
Bhubaneswar: The Opposition BJP on Wednesday targeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik questioning his silence on the kidnap and murder of Kalahandi woman teacher and accused the BJD Government of failing on all fronts.
The BJP also strongly criticised Naveen’s absence in the Assembly and from his office in Lok Seva Bhavan though he is undertaking district tours to distribute health cards among the people. Launching a blistering attack on the BJD Government, the BJP announced that it will continue its agitation against it till Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra is removed from his post in connection with the Kalahandi teacher’s kidnap and murder and the case is transferred to CBI.
The criticisms against Naveen and his Government were made at BJP’s State executive meeting held during the day. The meeting was chaired by State party president Samir Mohanty and attended by Union Minister Bishweswar Tudu, Odisha Prabhari (State in-charge) D Purandeswari, Saha Prabhari (deputy State in-charge) Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, party MLAs and MPs in Odisha and district presidents.
Mohanty raised questions on Naveen’s silence over the Kalahandi teacher’s abduction and murder and accused him of shielding D S Mishra, who is allegedly close to the prime accused in the case. Claiming that the State’s law and order situation has worsened due to political interference in the police, Mohanty said though some ministers, including D S Mishra, have been accused of being involved in crimes, no action is being taken against them.
He referred to the murder of a five-year-old girl in Nayagarh whose main accused is being allegedly shielded by State Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo and to the double murder case in which State Law Minister Pratap Jena has been named in an FIR. “In all these cases, the Chief Minister has maintained silence,” he alleged.
Claiming that women and girls are unsafe in Odisha as no action has been taken against “mighty and influential persons” who were involved in crimes against them, the BJP leaders claimed that at least four rapes and six kidnappings take place in Odisha every day. Besides, about 27,000 children have gone missing in a span of five years.
The BJP also came down heavily on the State Government over the law and order situation, lack of employment, alleged misutilisation of funds under District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and the missing of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar (treasury) keys. The saffron party also criticised Naveen Government for allegedly cheating farmers at the State-run mandis during paddy procurement and denial of justice to OBCs and the poor, besides lack of irrigation, diversion of Central funds in the name of State schemes and high power tariff in the State. “The BJD Government has failed on all fronts,” the BJP leaders said.
#Press Note
