Manmohan Samal and Naveen Patnaik

Bhubaneswar, March 10: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s erstwhile ally, the BJP, has held him responsible for the 2008 Kandhamal riots. The statement, which was made while deposing before the Justice S.C. Mohapatra Commission, assumes significance as it comes from Manmohan Samal, who was Naveen’s revenue minister in the BJD-BJP coalition at the time of the riots.

Senior BJP leader Samal is the first minister of the coalition ministry to depose before the Mohapatra Commission, which is probing into the circumstances that led to the riots and left 38 dead and thousands homeless.

While putting Naveen in the dock for the 2008 riots, Samal told the commission that the chief minister was aware of the ground realities that eventually led to the explosive situation. Such a situation could have been averted had he taken appropriate steps, the party alleged.

Naveen, however, dismissed the senior BJP leader’s allegations as “false and incorrect”.

“What he said was incorrect. That was a false allegation,” he told reporters immediately reacting to Samal’s statement.

“If I am incorrect, the chief minister should spell out what is correct. He is free to speak about the correct things about the riots. What prevented him from revealing the truth, if I am incorrect?” asked Samal.

Samal told the commission that the chief minister was aware of the problems of illegal transfer of tribal land to non-tribals, issue of false caste certificates to non-tribals and inclusion of Kui language in the scheduled tribe list, which had given rise to discontent among the Kandhas.

He said there was simmering discontent among Kandha tribals, who felt that Panas (dalits) had usurped their land and were cornering reservation benefits by submitting false certificates claiming to be tribals.

“On several occasions, I had explained the ground realities to the chief minister and had said that immediate steps needed to be taken. However, he did not act. Had he taken appropriate steps to resolve these problems, the riots would not have taken place,” Samal said.

Stating that the murder of VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati had triggered the communal riots, Samal said, “Had the chief minister acted promptly and provided adequate security to Swamiji, he would have not been killed.”

The former minister alleged that the VHP leader was not provided adequate security even after he had received threat letters and had lodged a complaint with the police.

Besides, the state government did not deploy CRPF jawans, who were camping at Tumidibandh, a few kilometres away from the ashram where the Swami was killed.

“I had advised the chief minister several times to deploy CRPF forces in Kandhamal. However, the state government did not take any steps,” said Samal.

The former minister also alleged that Swami Laxmananda’s personal security officer was changed a few days before his killing and his substitute was on leave on the fateful day.