LoP Naveen Targets State Govt over Deteriorating Law and Order Situation

Bhubaneswar: BJD President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Saturday raised his serious concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in Odisha.

Participating in the debate on the demand for grant of the Home Department in the Assembly, LoP Naveen Patnaik has made a scathing attack on the BJP-led government on a range of issues including incidents of communal tensions, alleged mismanagement during this year’s Rath Yatra and Ganjam hooch tragedy.

Speaking in the Assembly, the BJD President said that Odisha is known for communal peace and harmony. It should be maintained at all costs.

Naveen said that several communal incidents happened in the state after the BJP government came to power.

“Shortly after this government took office, there was a communal incident, several communal incidents in Balasore district, also in other parts of Odisha. Recently, a communal incident took place where a man was murdered in the Khordha district. This should be rectified”, the Leader of Opposition said.

Naveen also expressed his concerns that the government did not take any action against Governor Raghubar Das’s son who allegedly “violently attacked and humiliated” an officer during the Rath Yatra in Puri.

“I have a question. If you are the governor’s son or minister’s son, or MP or MLA’s son or a senior officer’s son is the law different for such a person? Is he immune to any prosecution? If this is the case, then the people of Odisha should be informed that certain people are above the law,” he said.

Naveen further stated that during his tenure as the chief minister, no one was above the law.

“Anyone found guilty was punished. The present Chief Minister holds the Home portfolio. I hope all these matters should be informed, including the recent rape and murder of a minor. These are all serious matters and never occurred during our government. We followed the law of the land,” he said.

He also expressed concern over the idol of Lord Balabhadra toppling during the Rath Yatra in Puri. This incident has hurt millions and millions of people of the state and the country, he said.

Highlighting the issue of spurious liquor claiming three lives in Ganjam district, he said, “During our time, we had always cracked down on the illicit liquor in the state.”