BJD, Cong walk out of assembly over inaction in case against governor’s son

Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik raised the issue of the breakdown of the law and order as soon as Odisha governor Raghubar Das began his address

Updated on: Jul 22, 2024, 16:49:08 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress on Monday walked out of the Odisha assembly on the first day of the Budget session in protest against inaction in the alleged assault case against the governor Raghubar Das’s son.

Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik expressed disappointment over inaction. (X)

Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik raised the issue of the breakdown of the law and order and the alleged assault of Baikunthanath Pradhan, an official at Das’s residence, as soon as the governor began his address.

Pradhan accused Das’s son, Lalit Kumar, and his five associates of allegedly slapping, punching, kicking, and forcing him to lick his spit as he was upset that a luxury car was not sent to pick him up from Puri railway station. A case has been lodged against Kumar, but no action has been taken so far. Pradhan was transferred to the state secretariat after the alleged assault.

Patnaik expressed his disappointment over inaction. “My party and I are disappointed and surprised that the government has taken no action against the governor’s son, who meted out violence to a government officer. We are deeply shocked. Law and order seem to have completely broken down in our state. Immediate action was taken against ministers, lawmakers, and senior government officers whenever they broke the law during the previous BJD government. The state government should take action according to the law,” Patnaik said.

The Opposition members returned to the House when chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi moved an obituary motion after Das completed his address.

State law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the governor’s secretariat has asked the Puri collector to conduct a probe and submit a report within 15 days. “Action will be taken based on the report.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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