With the Opposition stoking the flames of the fire that burnt lady school teacher Mamita Meher down to ashes after a homicide act by prime accused Gobinda Sahu, allegedly having close proximity with MoS (Home) Dibya Shankar Mishra, the BJD is seemingly feeling the heat. The presser by BJD's firefighter Sasmit Patra tells the tale.
As per eminent baseball pitcher Chan Ho Park, "This is normal to have pressure. It's how you respond. Take the pressure, use the pressure, have fun."
Since the Opposition is pitching for the removal of the Odisha Home Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's cabinet, the ruling dispensation has been pitching for a status quo with respect to the Minister.
Pitching game And Pressure
In this pitching game, the BJD presser today brings to fore the pressure lines on the ruling party following the persistent Opposition attack.
Given the tone and tenor of the BJD press conference today, political observers could clearly read the pressure lines on the ruling BJD, which are detailed below.
- In its defense, as per baseball terminology, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra, in order to clean up the fireball thrown by the Opposition, swung the instances of Kunduli and Itishree cases.
- As per BJD's pinch hitter Sasmit Patra, the CBI had reached to the same conclusion, the Odisha Crime Branch had made. But the Opposition- BJP and Cong - tried to build a narrative against the Party, which later proved hollow, he claimed.
- A Reality Check: In the Itishree murder case, in its closure report to Supreme Court, CBI had stated that the third accused (one who set ablaze lady teacher Itishree) couldn't be traced.
- Though the BJD spokesperson took refuge in CBI's findings, little did BJD know that the opening of the case diary of Itishree murder will only give more fodder to the Opposition to fire at the ruling BJD from all cylinders.
- As per the Itishree case diary, the victim's dying declaration revealed that she had informed about the mental torture, post sexual advances by the key accused, school inspector, to all high and mighty - Rayagada district administration, Police DGP, Odisha CM.
- The declaration had a pointed mark at a local politician (many read it as the then BJD MP Jayaram Pangi). The statement said she couldn't recognise the accused who put her on flames, but the accused had then mentioned the name of the school inspector.
- Odisha crime branch report finds truth in her accusations, as their investigation proved harassment by school inspector Netrananda Dandasena.
- Odisha opposition parties - BJP and Congress - have been exactly pitching on this in the Mamita murder case.
- The charge by both BJP and Congress is police and administration in the Naveen Patnaik led dispensation has been failing abjectly in stopping crime against women, especially when some has political blessings.
- Similarly, in the Kunduli gang-rape case, the judicial commission set up by the Odisha government had clearly observed that no girl (of her age) will make a false accusation of rape by putting her modesty at stake.
- Calling the 'gangrape accusation' and suicide later as a mystery, it had recommended for a further thorough probe.
- Orissa HC had constituted an SIT to conduct a full-fledged inquiry. The incident happened in 2017 and the SIT investigated the case in 2019. And it had submitted its final report to the trial court.
- In the Kunduli case, the victim had not raised any finger at any ruling party members, rather her statement was "gang-raped by 4-man in security forces attire".
- The Kunduli accusations still remains a mystery.
Opposition Bringing Disrepute To Odisha?
As per the BJD spokesperson, "BJP and Congress through their 'fact-finding missions' are trying to build a national narrative. And the cheap political narrative is bringing discredit and dishonour to Odisha."
Political observers rate this statement big. "The equating of BJD to Odisha shows the party is under tremendous pressure," said a political observer and he further added that last year SC Judge Deepak Gupta delivering a lecture on 'Democracy and Dissent' had said criticising the government, govt institutions is not anti-national.
The Key Takeaway: If political observers are to be believed, the presser by BJD spokesperson shows no sign of what well-known baseball pitcher Chan Park had said. Instead of having fun of the Opposition pressure, the ruling party hits the panic buttons by linking the criticism of the Government of the day to the State of Odisha.