As the state government failed to provide security to its own minister, Samal suggests the state government must admit it failed to protect its citizens.
According to a report released on Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) waged a war on the Odisha government over the recent Sambalpur violence. Manmohan Samal, the President of the State BJP, made the statement at a press conference, falsely alleging that the Odisha government ignored the intelligence reports for which there was widespread violence in the state.
State government officials must face the fact that they have failed to provide security to their own ministers, as well as protect the people. Would the April 12 incident have been avoided had the government acted as promptly as it did on April 14? It was all pre-planned, but by whom? According to the Sambalpur SP, things came together well ahead of time. Stone pelting and violence have a godfather. Who is he? This appeasement policy will not be tolerated by the BJP,” Samal said.
During an event held in Bhubaneswar, MP Aparajita Sarangi said, “Under the current circumstances, our government in Odisha must admit that there has been a total collapse of law and order in our state.” It would be justified if VHP had called for a bandh because it is necessary to switch on the Naveen Patnaik government that has been sleeping. Managing the law and order situation should be the top priority of the government, Sarangi said, and the people of the state want a better law and order situation.
In response to the Sambalpur violence, Congress leader Jaydev Jena said the state government has no influence over law and order in the area and that both the BJP and BJD are to blame.
When curfew is in place, the BJP and VHP are trying to include 11 more districts by calling a bandh based on the Sambalpur incident that was confined to one district only. The upcoming election appears to be the driving force behind all of this,” Jena said.
Congressional leaders want normalcy and peace restored, says Jena. A lot of people are doing politics with the BJP and the BJD. It is both their responsibility.”
The Odisha government and the BJD have yet to respond to our request for a response.