Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of the Congress party is now finding itself in a tight spot after keeping a suspicious silence over the brutal murder of five year old Nayagarh girl Pari even though the ghastly crime continues to draw massive public outrage across the state.
Adding to the party’s trouble, Congress MLA Suresh Routray on Monday dropped a bomb shell when he said that party legislators preferred to remain silent in the Odisha Assembly during discussions over the subject as they had been ‘managed’.
While speaking to reporters, Routray said that the party had initially raised the ‘Pari’ (muder) issue in the House and the Pradesh Congress Committee President had even announced for protests at district levels across the State to demand justice for the victim and her family.
“However, we were asked to remain silent over the matter in the aftermath of a meeting between the PCC president and the legislature party leader,” said Routray.
“Congress Legislature Party leader, Narasingha Mishra told us that the Chief Minister has agreed to our demand for a SIT probe (into the case) and we withdraw from our agitation programmes. It seems things were ‘managed’ so that there was change in our stand. But personally, I am not happy with the SIT investigation,” said Routray.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja categorically stated that the party’s stand was very clear in the initial phase. ”But our Legislature Party leader decided that we demand a SIT probe. Once it is fulfilled, we will allow the House to function,” he added.
“The BJP stuck to its stand over the demand for the expulsion of Minister Arun Sahoo till the end which forced the State government to adjourn the House sine die,” said Saluja.
On senior party leader Sura Routray’s claims that party legislators had been ‘managed’ over the Pari issue, Saluja said, “We will certainly discuss the matter with the party high command.”
Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra questioned if the Pari murder incident was the ‘only issue to be discussed in Assembly’?
“It is a historic success for the Congress as the government accepted our demand for a SIT probe which never happened in the past. I do not know what Suresh Routray has said. The conduct of the party in the House is as per the decision taken by the CLP,” clarified Mishra.