BHUBANESWAR: Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan today targeted chief minister Naveen Patnaik over the alleged Kunduli gangrape case, subsequent suicide by the victim and demanded a CBI probe into the entire incident.
Stating that the Haryana government had handed over a similar rape case to CBI for inquiry, Pradhan dared the BJD government to order a CBI probe into alleged rape of the 14-year-old girl at Kunduli in Koraput on October 10, last year if it has the courage.
The state government is trying to suppress the incident, the union minister told mediapersons after listening to Mann Ki Baat programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with common people at Sikharchandi area of the capital city. The director general of police, Koraput district superintendent of police and the chief minister are responsible for the suicide of the victim, Pradhan said and added that she committed suicide after tolerating mental torture for four months because of the insensitive treatment meted out to her by the administration and police. The victim committed suicide on January 22.
Pradhan alleged that Patnaik is unable to gauge the agony of the people as he has turned "blind due to absolute power."
The union minister also referred to the alleged rape of a woman in the office of the BJD at the Dasrathpur block headquarters in Jajpur district on January 11 which the government is trying to suppress.
However, government chief whip in the assembly and BJD spokesperson Amar Prasad Satpathy refuted Pradhan's allegations saying a judicial inquiry into the incident is underway and there is no attempt to suppress the truth.
After listening to the Mann Ki Baat programme, Pradhan said the Prime Minister has taken the leadership to create a positive mentality among the people for which he has received massive support. The Prime Minister dwelt on empowerment of women and Padma awards in today's Mann Ki Baat programme. Pradhan thanked the Prime Minister for four persons getting the Padma awards this year.
Pradhan said the Mann Ki Programme will be launched in 50,000 villages of Odisha in the coming days.