BHUBANESWAR: The State BJP on Sunday announced that the party will hold demonstrations in front of all police stations and block offices in undivided Cuttack district demanding the resignation of Law Minister Pratap Jena over the double murder in Mahanga.
“If Jena does not resign, he should be removed from the ministry immediately,” State unit president Samir Mohanty said. Condemning the incident, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hoped that the administration will take strong action against the guilty persons. “There may be differences in social life, but there is nothing more deplorable than violence and killing,” he said.
The BJP alleged that Baral was made a target as he had raised the issue of massive corruption in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Nrutanga panchayat.
State BJP general secretary Golak Mohapatra alleged that Baral had recently held a press conference on irregular distribution of houses under PMAY, many of which had been allotted to local BJD leaders and sympathisers. Following the press conference, the district administration had issued notices to ineligible beneficiaries, he said and added, this is the reason behind his killing.
The Congress has also condemned the incident and demanded exemplary action against the perpetrators of the heinous crime. President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Niranjan Patnaik described Baral as a strong leader. “His murder shows that political killings have now started in Odisha. I request the government to take stringent action against the accused,” he said.
Law Minister Jena also made a statement dismissing BJP’s charges against him. “Baral babu’s killing has also disturbed me. I will personally look into the case to ensure that assailants get punishment,” he said.