CUTTACK: Claiming to be the real heirs of freedom fighter Rindo Majhi, one Duguli Majhi and others have approached Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP) for appropriate action.
Questioning the selection of legal heirs of the freedom fighter who were recently felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate completion of 200 years of Paika Rebellion in Odisha, the applicants have produced evidence in support of their claim.
The evidence includes a publication of Adibashi Vasha O Sanskruti Academy titled Sardar Rindo Majhi which shows that the freedom fighter belonged to Urladani village of Kalahandi and an engraved copper plate regarding imposition of death penalty on Rindo. The applicants have also submitted a genealogy of the freedom fighter showing themselves as legal heirs.
One Yogeswar Majhi of Lubengarh village under M Rampur block of Kalahandi district received the award from the PM on April, 16, 2017 in the Raj Bhawan impersonating as the legal heir of the freedom fighter, they claimed.
The applicants said earlier, they had submitted a petition to the Prime Minister through Kalahandi Collector for postponement of the felicitation of Yogeswar, who according to them, is not the real heir.
Acting on the petition, president of CLAP Legal Service Institute Bikash Das has sent a letter to the PM for constitution of an official committee to declare the real legal heirs of the freedom fighter.
The CLAP Legal Service Institute has also sent copies of the letter to Kalahandi Collector, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (South), Special Secretary, General Administration Department, and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for necessary action.