Bhubaneswar, April 6: The Opposition today came down heavily on the Orissa government in the Assembly for its failure to maintain law and order. “The lawlessness has given rise to anarchy in the state. A constitutional crisis has been emerged here as police atrocities have crossed the limit of tolerance,” said the Opposition members.
They said that no one, including students, journalists, farmers and judges, had been spared by the police and alleged that the government was protecting the dishonest police officers. However, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said his government was taking action against the erring police officers and there was no “Police Raj” in Orissa.
Initiating an adjournment motion in the Assembly, Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja said that cops were acting as political police. “Police is working on its whims. Though there is a demand to shift the Rourkela and Mayurbhanj SPs, no action has yet been taken against them. The collector and police are acting as agents “dalal” of the government,” he alleged.
Stating that the chief minister was under darkness, leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh said: “The way the government is handling the police force is unfortunate. No one feels safe in the state. The government is adopting a double standard while dealing with the same case. It is trying to settle political score by using the police force. The government has already used the police force against the tribals. Even the people in Bhubaneswar are not safe.”
Opposition chief whip Prasad Harichandan said: “The police force is now acting as the government’s secret agents. A massive movement has been initiated against the Rourkela SP. However, no action has been taken against him.”
Launching a scathing attack on police, he said nearly 6,000 people had been booked under preventive arrest. “The people of Rourkela has already prepared a chargesheet against the police. They are going to observe a Rourkela bandh on April 8,” he said.
Harichandan further said that the law and order situation had been deteriorated to such an extent that even the BJD MLA had got threatening calls to life.
BJP legislative leader K.V. Singh Deo said the government should immediately transfer the Malkangiri collector. He also demanded action against the Rourkeal and Mayurbhanj SPs.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said: “The police have never been misutilised by the government. To expedite criminal justice, the government is going to appoint 189 assistant public prosecutors. Joint operation is going on contain the Maoists violence.”
