BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi Says Odisha Govt’s ‘Kumbhakarna Nidra’ Led To Sambalpur Violence; BJD Counters

Bhubaneswar: Taking a dig at Odisha government over Sambalpur violence, senior BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi on Wednesday said VHP’s bandh call was required to pull the ruling BJD out of deep slumber for which law and order has gone for a toss.

Alleging that law and order in the state is in doldrums, the lawmaker said despite large scale violence in Sambalpur, the Naveen Patnaik government continues to be indifferent.

Under such circumstances, the shutdown called by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was necessary in order to wake up the state government from ‘Kumbhakarna Nidra’ – deep slumber, the senior BJP leader told reporters.

Asking the Naveen government to admit that law and order in Odisha has gone for a toss, Aparajita said the ruling BJD must take corrective measures to set things right instead of indulging in false propaganda.

The BJD government should admit that it has failed to ensure safety and security of the people and provide them with adequate protection, she said.

As per the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), crimes agaisnts women, child pornography and cyber crimes are rampant in Odisha, the BJP MP claimed.

Refuting Aparajita’s allegation as baseless, BJD Spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra alleged that the BJP leader is trying to add fuel to the fire by supporting the bandh call by VHP instead of backing efforts towards restoration of peace in Sambalpur.

Asking the Bhubaneswar MP to properly anaylise the NCRB report, she claimed that the report shows that heinous crimes and violence against women are more in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The BJD leader also accused Aparajita of supporting insulting the people of Odisha by indirectly supporting Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s remark about lawlessness in the state.