Bhubaneswar: Expressing “deep concern and grave anxiety” over the alleged intimidation of Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain on his way to attend a Tigiria Panchayat Samiti meeting Friday, BJD president Naveen Patnaik Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, describing the incident as a sign of deteriorating law and order in the state and seeking his personal intervention into the matter.
In his letter, Patnaik referred to an incident in the Tigiria block under the Athagarh Assembly constituency, where the senior BJD leader and MLA Swain was allegedly obstructed and intimidated while on his way to the meeting May 22. “I am writing to you with a sense of deep concern and grave anxiety regarding the rapidly deteriorating law and order situation in our state,” Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Odisha Assembly, wrote.
Citing reports from the ground and media coverage, the former CM alleged that the MLA was “violently blocked, intimidated and physically prevented” from attending the meeting by “BJP-backed miscreants”.
Describing the incident as a serious threat to democratic functioning, Patnaik said it was “not merely a localised political clash” but “a direct and malicious assault on the democratic framework”. “If the very leaders chosen by the public are not safe from partisan hooliganism while performing their constitutional responsibilities, the safety of the common citizen becomes highly precarious,” he said.
The BJD chief urged the CM to personally intervene and ensure stringent action against those responsible. He also called for adequate measures to guarantee the safe ty and security of all citizens in the state.
Of late, political sparring has continued between the ruling BJP and the opposition BJD over governance and law-and-order issues in Odisha.