BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition BJP and Congress on Friday rejected the statement of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the Mamita Meher murder case and announced that their protest inside and outside the House over the issue will continue.
Alleging that the statement was an attempt to protect the Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra, Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Majhi and senior leader Jaynarayan Mishra alleged that the Chief Minister does not have any sympathy for the family of the victim.
If raising the Mamita issue is politicisation, then what was the Chief Minister doing by taking a lead role against the then JB Patnaik government by raising a gangrape case and demanding his resignation, they asked and added that he had given a call for Odisha bandh over the issue. They said that the family members of Mamita will be happy if the real culprits are punished and this can be done only through a CBI probe. They also criticised the Chief Minister for trying to divert the attention of people by referring to other issues in his statement.
Leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra also described the statement as shocking. Alleging that the Chief Minister has given false information, Mishra said that her character assassination was done by the State government and not the Opposition. “Had Mamita’s pen drive been presented in the Assembly, the truth could have come to light and the Opposition would have accepted it,” he added.
The Chief Minister’s statement has proved that he is indirectly trying to shield the culprits and conspirators of the case. “In Pari murder case, the Chief Minister himself wrote a letter for SIT probe under the supervision of the High Court. But why is he stepping back in this case?” he asked. Mishra said that the Congress will intensify its protests reiterating its demand for an SIT probe and dismissal of the minister.