Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, expressing deep concern and grave anxiety over what he termed as a deteriorating law and order situation in the state. This came on a day when Majhi reviewed the state's law and order situation.
Alleged attack on BJD MLA
In his letter, Patnaik cited an incident in Tigiria block under Athagarh assembly constituency, alleging that BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain was violently blocked, intimidated, and physically prevented by BJP-backed miscreants while on his way to attend a Tigiria panchayat samiti meeting on Friday. Patnaik asserted that such an act is not merely a local political clash but a direct and malicious assault on the democratic framework.
Patnaik's appeal for action
Patnaik wrote, 'If public representatives are not safe from partisan hooliganism while discharging their constitutional duties, the safety of common citizens becomes highly precarious.' He sought immediate intervention from the Chief Minister, stringent action against those responsible, and measures to ensure the safety of all.
BJP's response
Responding to the letter, BJP media coordinator Sujit Kumar Das stated that the Majhi government is taking strict action as per law against anyone taking the law into their hands. He added that the current situation is unlike Naveen Patnaik's tenure, when criminals allegedly enjoyed political patronage.
