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| Badri Narayan Patra |
Bhubaneswar, March 15: The Odisha Congress, which was starved of issues to take up against the government, is back in action with the twin issues of a dowry torture case against housing and urban development minister Raghunath Mohanty and Plus Two question paper leak.
Mohanty was forced to put in his papers in the wake of allegations from his daughter-in-law. The Opposition raised a ruckus on the issue at the Assembly, while outside it, state Congress affairs in-charge Jagdish Tytler demanded the resignation of not just Mohanty, but also the chief minister.
While the dowry torture case is bound to raise political heat in the state, the physics and chemistry question paper leak issue has been an embarrassment for the government. Higher education minister Badri Narayan Patra is in the eye of a storm with Opposition activists demanding his resignation. The chief minister being the head of the government, also cannot escape responsibility.
When the first leak happened, the government openly admitted the lapse. The second time around, instead of conceding a full-fledged leak, it resorted to verbal jugglery saying “security of the examination had been compromised”. However, the word play did not work when the Opposition cornered it in the Assembly.
Patra has promised to examine the role of private colleges, which, looking for instant glory and quick profits might have triggered the leaks. The crime branch of police, which is investigating the issue, has already made a few arrests but this, apparently, is just the tip of the iceberg.
For the state government, the dowry case and the question paper scandal could not have come at a worse time. It was already grappling with the contentious issue of illegal mining when the question paper leak happened and provided a readymade issue to the Opposition. The dowry torture case also promises political fireworks.
The state Congress workers have demonstrated in various parts of the state demanding resignation of the higher education minister and the chief minister. Sources said more demonstrations were on cards.
The Congress may soon find the BJP protesting on these same issues, which have struck a chord with the people.
The fact remains that both parties, of late, had been completely starved of issues. The mining scam was slowly losing heat and they had nothing more to beat the government with. The situation has changed overnight.