Biswa Bhusan Harichandan

Bhubaneswar, July 28: Former law minister and senior BJP leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan today accused chief minister Naveen Patnaik “of inaction” during the Kandhamal riots in 2008.

Deposing before the one-man Kandhamal Commission, Harichandan, who was the law minister at that time, today claimed that he had told the chief minister about the threat to the life of slain Swami Laxmanananda.

“Had the state government acted, the life of swami could have been saved. Subsequent riots could also have been prevented,” he said.

He also claimed that Naveen had not called a meeting of his cabinet to take stock of the situation.

Defending the chief minister, senior BJD leader and finance minister Prafulla Ghadei, however, said: “When Harichandan was in the government, he should have raised the issue. Why did he remain silent at that moment? I don’t have any idea that Harichandan had raised this issue,” said Ghadei, who too was part of the cabinet at that time.

Harichandan told the commission that the swami had received threat to his life just three days before the killing. “On August 21, 2008, the Jalespatta Ashram had received a letter by post. After the incident, I had asked the chief minister to strengthen his security. But no step, however, was taken in this regard. He and four of his associates were subsequently killed on August 23, 2008,” he said.

Claiming that the subsequent riots were “a sudden spurt of reaction of people’s emotion,” Harichandan said the state government had failed to manage the crisis arising out of the situation.

He also claimed that he had demanded an all-party meet on the issue. “However, no attention was given to it. The chief minister did not even discuss the issue with his cabinet colleagues despite requests,” he said.