BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Thursday said it will probe into the reported entry of suspected Al Qaeda member Abdul Rehman to the Secretariat on October 7 as the Opposition Congress and BJP demanded a high level inquiry into the matter.
“The department will probe the alleged visit of Rehman to the State Secretariat on October 7,” School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra said and added that purpose of his visit will also be ascertained.
Mishra was reacting to media reports on Rehman’s visit to the Secretariat and his School and Mass Education Department on October 7 at around 11.30 am. Rehman, arrested on the charge of having links with the terrorist organisation on December 16, had allegedly visited the Secretariat with a pass issued by the reception.
When contacted, Commissioner of Police Dr RP Sharma said police will check the veracity of the reports stating that Rehman had entered the state Secretariat.
However, Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra criticised the State Government over the issue and asked how could it be possible that Rehman entered the Secretariat if he was under the watch of the police.
Mishra said the suspected terrorist’s entry to the Secretariat suggested that he had a good rapport with some Ministers and ruling party members. “The issue needs to be probed thoroughly for safety of people of the State,” he said.
Senior BJP leader Pratap Sarangi also demanded a high level probe into the alleged entry of Rehman into the Secretariat.