Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan comes hard on Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, equates latter’s rule with Ravan Raj
By A Iswar Rao
BHUBANESWAR, NOV. 19: Odisha’s senior BJP leader and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday came down heavily on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the lady teacher Mamita Meher murder case and said the latter’s rule can be best described as Ravan Raj (the anarchical rule of demon king Ravan of Treta Yug).
He also alleged the CM was having double standards over his proclaimed principles while dealing with ministers and leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
“He (CM Naveen Patnaik) has separate sets of morale standards for other leaders of the ruling BJD and his close aides like minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra. While he shunted out dozens of ministers on the shadow of corruption charge to showcase himself as clean CM, he is protecting Divya Shankar who is facing the charge of complicity in the lady teacher murder case,” Pradhan said.
The Union minister, while addressing party workers during a ‘Misrana Parba’ or joining ceremony at the BJP party office here, drew a parallel between CM Naveen Patnaik’s morale standards with some towering leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri and Lal Krishna Advani. He said Lal Bahadur and Advani left their chairs in keeping with their morale stance.
“In fact, Naveen Patnaik himself had removed many ministers on moral grounds in the past over the slightest allegations. But, now when accusations were made against his close aides and confidants, he is turning a blind eye and forgetting those standards. It is double standard at its best,” he observed.
He dubbed Naveen Patnaik’s present rule as Ravan Raj (rule of demon king Ravan of Treta Yug).
“The family members of Mamita Meher were harassed and made to run from pillar to post just to file a First Information Report (FIR). Even after the registration of an FIR, the statement of the family members was never recorded under Section-164 of (Code of Criminal Procedure) CRPC,” alleged Pradhan.
Accusing the minister Dibya Shankar Mishra of influencing the probe, Pradhan said, “Even though the police has not filed the chargesheet in the case, the victim’s family has been pressurised to move the High Court seeking speedy trial of the case.”
Taking a jab at CM Naveen, Pradhan said, “Ego and arrogance have very short lives. They don’t stay forever with anyone.”
Lady teacher Mamita Meher was killed on October 8 by Gobinda Sahu, a trusted aide of minister Divya Shankar, as she threatened to expose a sex racket involving influential persons.
The state BJP, while alleging minister Divyashakar’s complicity in Mamita Meher murder, has been staging dharna and agitations across all the districts demanding CBI probe into the case.
