Last Update: February 12, 2023, 08:49 IST
Dharmendra Pradhan met late Das’s son Bishal and daughter Deepali at their residence. (Photo: @dpradhanbjp)
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticized the law and order situation in the state after visiting the residence of the slain minister in Jharsuguda.
Senior BJP leader and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday attacked the BJD government in Odisha over the heinous killing of former minister Naba Kishore Das, allegedly by a policeman, at Brajrajnagar in Jharsuguda district.
Pradhan criticized the law and order situation in the state after visiting the late minister’s residence in Jharsuguda.
Accompanied by party’s Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari and ex-MLA Radharani Panda, the Union Minister met late Das’s son Bishal and daughter Deepali at their residence.
Pradhan came down heavily on the chief minister, who is also in-charge of the home department, and claimed that there was a complete breakdown of law and order in the state.
“There is an atmosphere of lawlessness in Odisha and the Chief Minister should focus on law and order and take concrete steps to improve the present situation,” Pradhan told reporters.
On the ongoing investigation by the Crime Branch in the murder of the minister, the senior BJP leader claimed that even the supporters of the slain minister are not satisfied with the probe being conducted by the CB and want an independent probe by a third party.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJD reacted to the Union minister’s statement asking him to refrain from politicizing the crime.
BJD spokesperson and MP Sasmit Patra said the crime branch probe was on the right track and called for an end to attempts to politicize the investigation.
“A retired judge of the Orissa High Court is monitoring the Crime Branch investigation into the incident. Hence, nobody should do politics in this regard,” Patra said in a statement.
Patra said: “At a time when a retired judge of the Orissa High Court is monitoring the probe, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan is trying to politicize the probe. This is not acceptable to us. The opposition should wait for the investigation to be completed. Earlier in the day, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also visited the residence of another BJD leader and former speaker Kishore Kumar Mohanty, who passed away last year.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)