Cuttack: Governor Ganeshi Lal has asked the state government for taking "needful action" on the Dharma Rakshya Sena's plea concerning Congress MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria.

The direction was given to the chief secretary on a memorandum that a sena delegation had submitted while meeting the governor.

The sena sought the governor's intervention against continuance of Krushna Chandra Sagaria as the MLA from Koraput since he had changed his religion from Hinduism to Buddhism. In the memorandum, the sena demanded Sagaria's disqualification as representative of Koraput Assembly as it was reserved for scheduled caste category.

The first-time MLA, who belonged to the scheduled caste, changed his religion from Hinduism to Buddhism on May 13 at a conversion ceremony at his village Buruja under Lakshmipur block in Koraput district. The function was attended by hundreds of people from Koraput, Kalahandi and Balangir districts.

"I am directed to forward herewith a memorandum submitted to the governor by Dharma Rakhsya Sena convener Chandrakanta Pradhan and others which is self explanatory for kind appropriate attention and needful action according to the law," the governor's personal secretary said in his communication to the chief secretary on June 26.

The memorandum contended: "A person after embracing Buddhism is not eligible to and should not continue as a representative of Hindu (schedule caste) people. Hence it is necessary that Sagaria should not be allowed to continue as MLA in the State Legislative Assembly."

The sena sought Lal's direction to any state agency or direct to form a panel to investigate the persons involved in the conversion process and whether the conversion was out of the MLA's own will or was due to coercion.