The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Congress blames Government

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 31, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Other States

Other States - Orissa

Congress blames Government

Staff Reporter

Naveen capitalised on reactions of a heinous murder, says OPCC president

Party’s five-member team seeks CBI inquiry
Security for minorities sought

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the communal violence across the State was showing no sign of dying down, the State Congress on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Naveen Patnaik Government, saying it “knowingly” jeopardized lives of people belonging to a minority community.

Addressing a press conference here, Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Jayadev Jena said, “killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati should be deplored in the strongest terms. But the way Chief Minister facilitated a communal violence by capitalising on reactions of heinous murder is really distressing.”

“This is a clear indication that the ruling Biju Janata Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party have engineered the riot for their electoral benefit. We will expose them in public,” Mr. Jena said.

Mr. Jena said the team felt that large-scale communal violence to this magnitude was never witnessed during bandh time in the State before. It was largely due to involvement of activists of both BJD-BJP who were approaching elections with Hindutwa agenda, the OPCC president charged.

The party had assigned a five-member team headed by Sriballav Panigrahi, a veteran Congress leader, to visit sensitive districts excluding Kandhamal, for getting firsthand information about the situation.

Mr. Panigrahi said life and property of common people in different parts especially in rural pockets were not safe.

While Rajani Majhi, a Hindu girl who was managing her livelihood and studies by looking after children in an orphanage, was charred to death by activists of Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP), similar murderous attacks were being planned in rural Bargarh, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts, he alleged.

The team, comprising senior party leaders Kishore Patel, Sibananda Ray, Narendra Mishra and Prakash Chandra Debta, recommended that a CBI inquiry be instituted into the matter without further delay.

“Proper assessment of the damages and payment of compensation both to affected individuals and institutions should be made. Based on study, relief materials including rice, clothing, books and building grants should be provided to victims,” the team said.

They emphasised elaborate security arrangement for minority community people who were fleeing their houses fearing attack.

OPCC president announced that the party would take out peace rallies in different parts of the State by starting at Bargarh town on September 5 and extended party’s support to the relief operations. Mr. Jena said a party delegation would visit riot-hit Kandhamal district defying the State Government’s “prohibition”.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States