Odisha ruling party MLA gets death threat from Maoists

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Rayagada, Apr 9:

BJD leaders in Lanjigarh constituency in Odisha’s Kalahandi district are in a state of panic after Maoists threatened to kill them.

In a letter to the media on Wednesday, top Maoist leader Umakant of Bansadhara-Nagavali-Ghumusar Divisional Committee, has threatened to eliminate some of the top leaders of the ruling BJD, including the Lanjigarh MLA Balabhadra Majhi and chairman and vice-chairman of Biswanathpur block.

In the letter, the Maoist leader alleged that the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government had managed to win elections with the money made available by multi-national companies (MNCs) and native capitalists by showering undue favours on them as per their requirement.

“The BJD government, since coming to power, has signed MoUs with more than 100 companies and generously handed them the forest, water, land and mineral resources of the state. With the donated money of these companies, the party has managed to purchase the votes of the poor people. Besides, the government, with just one percent revenue collected from the industrialists, has also managed to get votes from the people by providing them rice at Rs 1 a kg and through other schemes like Mo Kudia and Mamata. It has also utilised the revenue in the distribution of bi-cycles, umbrellas, blankets, sarees and computers to the people,” he claimed.

The Maoist leader also alleged that the state government, in order to remain in power, has rehabilitated wayward youths and corrupt contractors in the villages and engaged them to create a vote bank.

“While the government is keen on providing land and water to Utkal Alumina, Hindalco and Vedanta in the backwards districts of Rayagada and Kalahandi, it has unleashed a reign of terror on the people who are opposing such move, through the police and the CRPF personnel, by branding them as Maoists. The ruling party leaders in these two districts, involved in such anti-people activities, would be given capital punishment,” Umakant warned.

Taking a dig at the double standards of the state government, the Maoist leader said while the Supreme Court had given its verdict in favour of the poor tribals of Niyamgiri who, at their village palli sabhas and gram sabhas, had rejected mining in Niyamgiri hill by the Vedanta Alumina outright, the state government, it has planned to set up a CRPF camp to provide safety and security to the company.