BHUBANESWAR: Amid Opposition protests, the ruling BJD on Wednesday strongly defended the Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra and hit back by drawing parallel with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The party leaders questioned the BJP for its silence on the incident.
The Union Minister's son allegedly involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which four farmers were mowed down was arrested only after there was a national outrage, but where were the State BJP leaders, former Minister and government chief whip Pramila Mallik questioned.
On photographs of Mishra with Gobinda Sahu, she said leaders of all political parties attend functions organised by educational and other institutions. "However, a wrong committed by a person of an institution cannot be linked to a person who attended a function in that institution as a guest," she said and added that BJP is making allegations without proof.
An educational institution should not be defamed as hundreds of students study there, Mallik said and added that there are many photographs in which State BJP leaders are seen with the criminals.
Stating that the murder of the lady teacher is highly condemnable, the former minister said that the law will take its course. Claiming that there has been no slackness in investigation, she said that an officer having experience of working in the National Investigation Agency is monitoring the case.