Bhubaneswar: The sensational abduction and murder of lensman Manas Ranjan Swain is set to rock the six-day Budget Session of the Odisha Assembly beginning on Friday.
The Opposition BJP and Congress are set to raise the issue of alleged involvement of some BJD ministers in the case.
Opposition chief whip and senior BJP leader Mohan Charan Majhi said that the alleged involvement of some BJD ministers in the murder case will be raised by the party in the House.
Besides, violence during the panchayat polls and the incident involving Chilika MLA Prashant Jagadev will be among the major issues raised by the Opposition.
Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra said that the violence during the panchayat elections, deteriorating law and order and the alleged involvement of ministers in the murder case will dominate the session.
Manas’ wife Yamuna has alleged that her husband was in possession of a memory chip that allegedly has video-recordings of “illegal acts” of Odisha ministers Pratap Jena and Dibya Shankar Mishra, and Sharmistha Rout, the absconding owner of the web channel where Manas worked.
Manas’ wife’s allegations have landed Odisha’s Minister of State (MoS) for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra and Law Minister Pratap Jena in a fresh controversy.
Responding to the allegation, Mishra earlier said that the BJD will abide by the decision of the court in the case.
“You all know the truth behind the incident. BJD is a disciplined party. We respect and follow the law of the land. The party leadership has never tolerated any kind of indiscipline, particularly violation of law,” he said.
Mishra is also facing the Opposition heat in the sensational murder of school teacher Mamita Meher last year. The BJP and Congress have alleged that he was the main conspirator.
The Winter Session of the Odisha Assembly was adjourned sine die in December last year after Opposition protests inside the House over the Mamita Meher incident.
Law Minister Pratap Jena is facing the heat in the Mahanga double murder case with the Opposition BJP alleging his involvement in the case.
