JAGATSINGHPUR: On the last leg of campaigning for the panchayat polls, leaders of BJD, BJP and Congress cashed in on the opportunity to impress upon the voters and rushed to pay tribute to CRPF Havildar Prasanna Kumar Sahu on his third death anniversary at Pari Sikhar village under Naugaon block on Monday. However, the villagers termed the congregation as a facade to seek votes for the party.
Sahu was one among the 43 martyred jawans in the Pulwama terror attack. The motive of the leaders was exposed when BJD leaders started shouting slogans in the name of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik when Sahu’s statue was being garlanded by panchayat samiti member Krishna Lenka.
With the video of the event going viral, locals and opposition leaders blamed the BJD alleging them of using disrespectful means to woo voters. “Rather than acknowledging the martyr’s sacrifice, the ruling party is playing with the emotions of the villagers and trying to influence them for the upcoming polls,” said Congress leader Sunil Matia. Congress and BJP-backed sarpanch, zilla parishad and samiti member candidates also paid floral tributes to Sahu.
Meanwhile, Pari Sikhar villagers expressed their displeasure over the delay in naming the local school, road and park in the name of the martyr. “The administration had also promised to name Sikhar bridge on Devi river after Sahu and establish a park in his memory. However, the promises are yet to be kept,” said Pari Sikhar sarpanch Akshya Jena.