Bhubaneswar, March 11: Congress has termed the arrest of former Sanakhemundi legislator Ramesh Chandra Jena as politically motivated and an effort to divert the attention of people from the alleged links of some BJD politicians with the notorious gangster D-brothers.
“The BJD was scared as a large number of its cadre switched loyality to Congress in the constituency which is close to that of Hinjili – assembly constituency of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik,” said PCC chief Prasad Harichandan here on Thursday.
“Further the BJD also wanted to divert people’s attention from the alleged nexus between some BJD politician and the gangster brothers,” Harichandan said.
Harichandan alleged the BJD wanted to fix Jena and got him arrested by the police slapping a host of sections of the CrPC as Congress was strengthening its base in that constituency.
The rise of Jena had become BJD leaders’ eyesore, Harichandan said at a press conference.
Harichandan said, there is no case against the former legislator. The police is trying to frame him, he added.
The PCC chief said arrest of Jena’s father was also illegal and the Party will not tolerate harassment of innocent people. A befitting reply will be given by the party, he added.
It is also unfortunate that the police picked him in a midnight swoop and never bothered to call him to the police station for questioning before that, he said.
He has been accused of illegal possession of firearms as police claims to have seized a 9-mm pistol and five live cartridges from his possession, over Rs 10.70 lakh in cash and a gun from the house of his father Arakhita Jena during raids.
The PCC President also alleged nexus between the NDA government at the Centre and BJD government in the State to snatch away the rights of tribals living in the forest.
Harichandan said the State government in connivance with the Centre is making all the efforts to take away the rights of tribals as granted under the Forest Rights Act -2006.
The Act, as enacted by the UPA government, was aimed at protecting the rights of tribals who lived in the forest for generations and protected them.
