Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jul 24:

Taking potshots at both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for their silence on atrocities against Dalits, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described them as ‘Mauni Babas’ (meaning silent Babas).

Jairam Ramesh press meet

Ramesh made the statement at a press conference here after his visit to Gumudumaha in Kandhamal district as a member of the Congress’s fact-finding team.

“The Odisha government’s policy is in order to kill Maoists kill Adivasis. We will submit our report on Kandhamal firing to our party high command within a day or two. We will raise the issue both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. No cross firing had taken place. Villagers have been killed. Strong action needs to be taken against those who have killed innocent people,” said Ramesh.

“As many as 18 out of 30 districts in Odisha are Maoist affected. The Chief Minister visits these 18 districts in the morning and returns by evening using a helicopter but I have spent nights in these Maoist-affected districts. Therefore I know the problem of these areas. During the UPA government days, more assistance was provided to these areas for construction of rural roads. But then Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has failed in Odisha. While we were going to Gumudumaha yesterday I could not see any trace of the Yojana. We could only see ‘Mukhya Mantri Kichhad Yojana’,” Ramesh added.

Another member of the team a former Union Minister and senior Congress leader V Kishore Chandra Deo stated that they are convinced that the incident was not an encounter as claimed by the police.

“After our spot visit, we are convinced that it was not an encounter. It was not an encounter. It was a one-sided affair-unilateral. Special Operations Group is a police force created by the government of Odisha to cater to the law and order demand but that too has standard operating procedures. Why were they created to tackle law and order situation or kill innocent civilians?” asked Deo.

Deo demanded that the chief minister should own moral responsibility for the Kandhamal incident and ensure that such incident would not occur in future.

The ruling BJD has, however, called it politicking by Congress.

“After the incident whatever steps were required to be taken by the state government has been taken. This was an accident and all have expressed sorrow over it. The Congress is using the incident for politicking. The Congress which was in power for so many years has done nothing for the Adivasis. Rahul Gandhi who had claimed to be sipahi of the Adivasis of Niyamgiri has done nothing for them. Wherever security forces are in action such mistakes do take place,” said BJD spokesperson Samir Dash in his reactions to the Congress’s allegations.