Bhubaneswar, June 15: Orissa Gana Parishad chief Bijoy Mohapatra today demanded that the Centre should depute a team to assess the law and order situation in the state in the wake of the attack on Union Food Minister Sharad Yadav here on Friday last. The team should visit the state immediately and take stock of the situation, Mohapatra told a news conference here.
Pointing out that the Central government had deputed such teams to states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in the past, the OGP chief alleged the situation in Orissa had sharply deteriorated in recent months with Left wing ultras calling the shots in southern districts. The situation is such that the government had instructed officials in the ultra-infested areas not to go to the field and only attend office, he claimed.
He alleged that the supporters of the ruling BJD and BJP were involved in the attack on Yadav and not a single culprit had been arrested by the police till now.
This became clear when supporters of BJD and BJP staged a demonstration when Yadav visited Bhadrak district yesterday, he said. "If the life of a Union minister is not safe in such a high security zone as the airport, what will happen to the common man?" he asked.
Mohapatra also alleged that the millers' lobby was also very busy during the Union minister's visit as Yadav had strongly reacted to reports of recycling of paddy by the miller agents. The Centre had asked the government to do away with the storage agent system, he said.
Stating that the Orissa High Court had directed both the state government and FCI to procure paddy directly from the farmers in Balangir district, Mohapatra said the state government chose to filed an appeal in the apex court against the high court order.
Both the Intelligence Bureau and the state intelligence had failed to keep track of developments as they were primarily required by the state government to maintain surveillance on political opponents, even ministers in the coalition ministry and ruling party MLAs, he claimed.
As many as 28 such persons were under surveillance at present, he claimed. Bureau Report