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BJP takes exception to Shivraj Patil’s visit

Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

Stock-taking: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil flanked by Opposition leader in the Orissa Assembly J.B. Patnaik, Union Minister Chandrasekhar Sahu and OPCC President Jaydev Jena at Biju Patnaik Airport in Bhubaneswar after visiting the trouble-torn areas in Kandhamal district on Wednesday. —

BHUBANESWAR: The State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party here on Wednesday took exception to the visit of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to the violence-hit Kandhamal district charging that he was on a ‘political mission’.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP State president Suresh Pujari said, “Mr. Patil chose Barakhama village instead of Brahamanigaon village, which has been the epicentre of violence. It clearly shows that there was some political agenda behind his visit.” The state BJP also criticised Mr. Patil for taking Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Jayadev Jena with him.

“We don’t have any objection to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik or Leader of Opposition J. B. Patnaik accompanying the Home Minister. But we cannot understand the motive behind taking OPCC president to violence-hit areas,” Mr. Pujari said.

Instead of taking short-term measures, attentions should be given to address root cause of the violence, which was religious conversion activities, the BJP president said.

It criticised ‘attempts of converted-Christians’ to get status of Scheduled Tribe. These attempts had gained momentum in recent years triggering communal violence in the district, said former Union Tribal Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Jual Oram in the press conference.

“According reserved category status to a particular community is not decided on the basis of language spoken. However, some converted dalit caste people who speak tribal language, Kui, are trying their names to get registered in ST category,” Mr. Oram said. Stating that his party was opposed to granting ST status to ‘converted- Christians’, he said the recommendations of Justice Ranganath Mishra had affected peace in the Kandhamal district. Mr. Oram said, “the Commission had favoured granting reserved category status to dalits who would be converted to other religions.”

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