Odisha: BJP rakes up Barang gang rape to target govt

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Monday recalled the over two-decades-old Barang gang rape case to target the BJD over the murder of Kalahandi schoolteacher Mamita Meher and the alleged involvement of junior home minister Dibya Shankar Mishra.
After stalling the proceedings along with Congress MLAs for the fifth straight day over the Mamita case, the BJP legislators also marched to the postmaster general’s office to post a letter addressing chief minister Naveen Patnaik and reminding him of his party’s stand in the 1999 incident, when the BJD was in the opposition. The incident had forced J B Patnaik to resign as chief minister after the victim accused him and his friend and former Odisha advocate-general of having played a role in the crime.
The BJP’s act was in response to Naveen’s recent statement in the assembly in which he appealed to the opposition parties not to politicise sensitive crimes.
“In the letter, we have mentioned the double standard of the BJD on women’s safety. We noted how he (Naveen) had taught the lesson of morality and demanded the resignation of then chief minister J B Patnaik,” said BJP member Mohan Majhi.
Majhi said they are posting letters to Naveen as he has not been attending the session.
Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra also slammed the state government over continued pandemonium in the assembly because of which the House had transacted less than an hour of business in the last five days.
Addressing a news conference at the state Congress headquarters, Mishra said the government is so scared to discuss the Mamita murder case, it does not want any discussion on the issue.
“Before the beginning of the session, the treasury bench leaders were often saying that they are ready for all discussion. We wanted a discussion on the Mamita murder case on priority. Why are they so scared to discuss the issue? Why the speaker has not convened the all-party meeting yet?” asked Mishra.
Earlier in the day, the Congress MLAs protested by climbing atop the speaker’s podium following which speaker S N Patro adjourned the house till 4 pm. Though an all-party meeting was convened by the speaker, it failed to break the deadlock.
Hitting back at the BJP, government chief whip Pramila Mallik said the party, which has been rejected by the people, had crossed all limits of decency in politics. “The language used by the BJP MLAs in their letter to the chief minister is against Odia culture. People of the state will give a befitting reply to them in future,” said Mallik.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
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