[Watch] Congress Holds Odisha Home Minister Responsible For Firing On Naba Das By Cop

Bhubaneswar: Voicing concern over firing on Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das by a policeman, Congress on Sunday held the Home Minister responsible for the attack saying it showed security lapse and intelligence failure.

Senior leader and state Congress media wing chairman Ganeswar Behera told reporters that the party prays for speedy recovery of Das who was critically injured after being shot at,  but wants the government to fix accountability for the incident.

Claiming that the incident took place due to security lapse and intelligence failure, he said the Minister in charge of Home department must be held responsible for the incident that took place at Brajrajnagar in Jharsuguda district.

“The attack on the Minister is a matter of grave concern. It has exposed the rapidly deteriorating law and order situation in the state,” Behera said.

Terming the incident as only the tip of an iceberg, the senior Congress leader said the government now needs to do self introspection and take corrective measures.

Expressing similar views, veteran Congress leader and MLA Suresh Routray said the attack on the Health Minister by a police personnel has exposed the weakness of the government.

He said the incident is a wake up call for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who holds the home portfolio, to take bold steps. The very fact that a police personnel fired at a Minister showed the government is weak, Routray said, adding that the government must become firm to improve the law and order situation.