Bhubaneswar: A couple of days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised questions over the credentials of Odisha government on providing safety and security to women in the State, Odisha Congress today lashed out at the ruling-BJD demanding resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on moral grounds.
Nayak also demanded that the report of Justice PK Commission, which was submitted to the State government nearly two and a half years ago, must be made public. He further raised question over the role of the investigating officer and the Crime Branch and said that the case should be reinvestigated to give justice to the victim.
"Odisha Congress is not satisfied with the resignation of Pradeep Maharathy as it's just a publicity stunt of the BJD and the same old strategy of Naveen babu to cover up the issue. We demand immediate resignation of CM Naveen and reinvestigation of the case. We also want the CM to make the Justice PK Commission report public," Nayak said.
When there are lacunae on part of police in investigation of a case, there is a provision under Section 173 (8) of CrPC for reinvestigation and so, Congress demands the same to bring back the culprits behind bars, he added.
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Responding to Nayak's allegations, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, "If we start digging out, several history of the Congress in its 60 years of rule in the country will come out of the grave. However, BJD doesn't want to be engaged in such cheap politics and hope Congress will do the same."
Pradeep Maharathy resigned from his post (Agriculture and Panchayati Raj) on January 6 amid mounting criticism over his controversial comments hailing the acquittal of Pipili gang rape accused.