State has surrendered to Maoists: Opposition

BHUBANESWAR: Even though the hostage crisis in the State has come to an end with the release of Jhina Hikaka from the Maoist captivity, it is still causing embarrassment for the State Governme
Jhina Hikaka (PTI)
Jhina Hikaka (PTI)

BHUBANESWAR: Even though the hostage crisis in the State has come to an end with the release of Jhina Hikaka from the Maoist captivity, it is still causing embarrassment for the State Government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Assurance given by Hikaka in the “praja court” to resign from the Assembly seat and snap all ties with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have emerged as the new problem for the State Government. Opposition parties have described it as surrender of State authority to the Maoists and demanded a clarification from the Chief Minister on the issue.

While the Congress has alleged that this has exposed the State Government’s complete failure in dealing with the increasing Maoist activities in a large area of the State, the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party maintained that BJD’s hobnobbing with the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) has led to this sorry state of affairs.

Not only the Opposition parties, several BJD leaders are also of the opinion that this type of quit order on the MLA is not acceptable. But so far, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has not reacted to the matter.

State BJP vice-president and spokesman Ashok Sahu alleged that such a situation has arisen only because of the BJD. He said that Laxmipur Assembly constituency was a Congress bastion. The BJD was able to win the seat in the 2009 Assembly election with assistance from the CMAS, which is a front organisation of the Maoists as per the State Government’s white paper, he said.

But after winning the seat for the last three years, there has been no development work in the area, Sahu said and alleged that this has led to strengthening of the Maoist and CMAS base in the constituency.

Hikaka is now in a very difficult situation. Sources in the BJD maintained that the resignation issue will be clear only after the MLA meets the Chief Minister on Monday.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com