BJD MLAs stage dharna outside Assembly, demanding release of Jhina Hikaka. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, March 24: Laxmipur MLA Jhina Hikaka could have avoided being kidnapped by the rebels had he followed the government advisory for VIPs moving in the Maoist-dominated areas.

Sources said the advisory, issued in the wake of former Malkangiri collector R. Vineel Krishna’s abduction by the Maoists in February last year, warned VIPs, including MPs and MLAs, against undertaking night journeys in areas known for Maoist activity.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik underscored the need for strict observance of the guidelines issued on March 11 last year while reviewing the situation in the wake of Hikaka’s kidnapping at a high-level meeting here. He directed the home department to send reminders in this regard to all ministers, MPs and MLAs.

The guidelines advise VIPs to avoid using official vehicles as far as possible and undertaking night journeys in the Maoist belt. It also said that politicians and officials attending public meetings in the Maoist areas must inform the concerned district police authorities in advance.

However, politicians have been most prone to violating the guidelines, often landing themselves in troubles. Sources said BJD MLA from Umerkote Jagbandhu Majhi became an easy target of the rebels in September last year for not following the guidelines.

The local police did not have adequate information about the programme of the legislator, who was gunned down by the Maoists while distributing land papers among the tribals at a meeting in his constituency. Majhi’s killing, which is still being probe, prompted the state government to take a fresh look at the security guidelines framed for MLAs and MPs moving in the Maoist belt.

Sources said director-general of police Manmohan Prahraj had been asked to review the existing security guidelines in the wake of Majhi’s murder and make suggestions for improvement. However, if there has been any revision of the old guidelines, which were issued on March 11 last year in the wake of Vineel Krishna’s kidnapping by the rebels, it is yet to be made public.

The advisory assumes significance in view of the fact that the Maoists operating in the state have begun targeting politicians with increasing frequency. While former minister and present ruling party MLA from Jaydev Arabinda Dhali was the first high-profile politician to be targeted by the rebels, who had blown up his house in Malkangiri, in 2005, the killing of Majhi made it amply clear that the Maoists were not afraid of attacking even the ruling party politicians.