Bhubaneswar: July 13: Opposition parties of the state left no stone unturned to attack ruling party BJD on killing of five tribals in the Police-Naxalite crossfire in the Kandhamal district.
Protesting on the incident, both Congress and BJP observed Kandhamal Bandh on Monday. A team of Congress leaders led by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan had already visited the district and met the family members of the deceased tribals. On Tuesday, delegation of BJP led by its State unit president Basanta Panda had also visited Kandhamal to take stock of the situation.
Every now and then, the political leaders has been visiting to Kandhamal to make it an big issue ahead of Panchayat election of the state. All of them have targeted the BJD and termed the ruling party as anti-tribals. They have demanded immediate action against Southern range IG and Kandhamal SP. Meanwhile, CPM General Secretary Ali Kishore Patnaik met the injured persons at MKCG Medical College and Hospital and demanded 20 lakh compensation to each family of deceased and arrest of CRPF personnel.
Congress legislature party will visit Kandhamal on July 15 for an on-the-spot examination. Leader of opposition informed media persons here that, the team will discuss with district and Police administration of state regarding the incident. Opposition BJP also constituted a three-member team to probe the incident. BJP President Amit Shah has asked party vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and National Secretaries Jyoti Dhurve and Ramvichar Netam to visit the spot to probe the incident. BJP sources said, the Committee is expected to visit the district in a couple of days.
But, the state government has already ordered a judicial probe into the incident and announced ex-gratia for the deceased families. Also, the state has started inquiring on the issue by a Special Investigation Team.
Notably, the five tribals were shot at while they were travelling in an auto-rickshaw at Gumutmaha village in a dense forest area near Kuttamgarh under Tumudibandha police station jurisdiction in Kandhamal district.
