Odisha Hit By Lawlessness, Anarchy As BJD Govt Protecting Rioters, Alleges BJP

Bhubaneswar: Mounting a stinging attack on the BJD government in Odisha over recent violence in Sambalpur, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday alleged that the state is witnessing anarchy and lawlessness.

Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, former state BJP president Samir Mohanty accused the state government of giving shelter to the rioters who unleashed violence in the western Odisha city during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.

Claiming that the people of the state are not feeling safe and secure during the BJD rule, the senior BJP leader alleged that the state has been hit by anarchy and lawlessness due to inefficiency of the government and the partisan approach adopted by it.

The murder of Minister Naba Kishore Das, abduction and killing of a minor boy in Jharsuguda and similar other incidents amply show that the law and order machinery in Odisha had crumbled, Mohanty claimed.

Coming down heavily on Energy and Industries Minister Pratap Keshari Deb for blaming the organisers of Hanuman Jayanti celebrations for the violence in Sambalpur, the BJP leader said the language used by the BJD leader showed the government is shielding the rioters in the case.

By giving a clean chit to the armed people who unleashed violence during the motorcycle rally in Sambalpur Minister Pratap Deb has proved that the government is protecting the perpetrators of violence, he claimed.

Stating that the FIR filed by the police in the case clearly stated that 150 to 160 rioters were involved in the violence, Mohanty said while some people have been arrested, many others have been allowed to go scotfree.

Accusing the BJD government of adopting double standard, the senior BJP leader there are reports that dreaded Uttar Pradesh criminal Guddu Muslim, who was a close aide of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed was in Puri and Bargarh.

Stating that Guddu Muslim reportedly met a notorious criminal in Bargarh, Mohanty said UP STF also visited the western Odisha town in this connection. All these developments raise serious questions about the safety and security of the people in the state, he added.