BJP alleges Odisha minister’s murder was result of BJD infighting, seeks CBI probe
BJP Odisha general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said the infighting in the BJD has reached the pinnacle and claimed that the picture of the conspiracy will get clearer if one joins all the dots
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday alleged that the murder of Odisha health minister Naba Das was a result of the infighting within the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the state, and sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.
Odisha health minister Naba Das was shot dead by an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police at Brajrajnagar town on Sunday. (File Photo)
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The 60-year-old minister was shot dead by an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police at Brajrajnagar town on Sunday. The accused ASI, Gopal Das is believed to be suffering from a mental illness. A CID probe is underway into the murder.
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“Infighting in the BJD has reached the pinnacle. If you join all the dots, the picture of the conspiracy will get clearer. The way every doctor and family member of Gopal Das started certifying him as a mentally unstable person within an hour of the firing, reeks of a ploy to give Gopal Das a clean chit in this case,” alleged BJP state general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan.
However, BJD spokesman Lenin Mohanty said the BJP did not seem to have faith on judiciary considering that the probe would be monitored by a retired judge of the Orissa high court. “Is this the political culture of the BJP?” asked Mohanty.
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Harichandan said though the motive of the murder is still undisclosed there seemed to be a deep rooted conspiracy in the murder of Naba Das. “That is why we are demanding a CBI inquiry into the case,” he said.
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Harichandan said though the motive of the murder is still undisclosed there seemed to be a deep rooted conspiracy in the murder of Naba Das. “That is why we are demanding a CBI inquiry into the case,” he said.
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Senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra asked how was Das killed when so many policemen were around. “The people of the state want to know how a police ASI gathered the courage to shoot such a powerful man. Has Gopal Das’ whereabouts 2-3 days prior to the killing been ascertained? Where was he, who did he meet, who did he call? Call records of both Gopal Das and Naba Das should be analysed,” he said.
Kantabanjhi MLA and Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja said the CID is totally unfit to probe a murder with such a magnitude of conspiracy and demanded that a special investigation team (SIT) should be formed to investigate the case.
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.
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