CM failed to protect his Cabinet colleague; SIT or CBI probe be done: PCC chief Sarat Pattanayak
CM failed to protect his Cabinet colleague; SIT or CBI probe be done: PCC chief Sarat Pattanayak
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Bhubaneswar: While the Odisha DGP sparked outrage with his statement that only Lord Jagannath could have predicted the death of Health Minister Naba, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak said on Sunday that blaming everything on the Lord is unacceptable.
He questioned Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's silence on the murder, implying a larger conspiracy. "The CM, who also holds the Home portfolio, has failed to protect his own cabinet minister. "For the first time in Odisha's history, a police officer shot and killed a minister," he said.
The OPCC president was also critical of the ongoing Crime Branch investigation. "It's difficult to believe that the 22 pieces of paper from the handwritten letter recovered from the spectic tank, as claimed by Crime Branch, are intact. "It appears that they are fabricating a story to mislead people, as a clear picture has yet to emerge even a week after the incident," he said.
He also stated that efforts are being made to portray the accused cop as mentally unstable. "If the state government is unable to conduct a thorough investigation, it should do so under the supervision of a sitting judge or turn the case over to the CBI," he said.
Earlier in the day, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan slammed the Odisha government for alleged lawlessness in the state, which included a police officer shooting Health Minister Naba Das in broad daylight.
"While the CM, who holds the Home portfolio, has remained mum over the incident, the DGP is trying to shrug off his responsibility in the name of Lord Jagannath. "This reveals a lot about the state's law and order situation," he said.
