BHUBANESWAR/SAMBALPUR: The BJP and the Congress have decided to send central leaders to the state to ascertain facts relating to the alleged murder of teacher Mamita Meher in Kalahandi district by school founder Gobinda Sahu. The two national parties have been pressing for the resignation of minister of state for home, Dibya Shankar Mishra, for his close ties with Sahu and have been staging protests since October 18, when the crime came to light.
Addressing a news conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday, party’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “A threemember team comprising party’s Mahila Morcha national president Vanathi Srinivasan, Lok Sabha member from Haryana Sunita Duggal and West Bengal MLA Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury will visit the state to ascertain facts soon.” Patra said chief minister Naveen Patnaik has maintained a stoic silence despite the involvement of his minister in the crime.
Pointing out that the police had initially refused to lodge an FIR, Patra said this is because the police knew. Congress sources said party’s national general secretary, Odisha in-charge, A Chellakumar and national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala will meet the teacher’s family in Balangir district on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the NSUI took out a protest march in Bhubaneswar shouting slogans against the minister. In Sambalpur, shops and business establishments, government and private offices, markets and private and government financial institutions largely remained closed in response to BJP’s bandh seeking Mishra’s removal and arrest. Buses also stayed off the road in the western Odisha city.
The BJD has maintained that the opposition parties are trying to politicise the sensitive issue while the probe is on the right track.
