Bhubaneswar: Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pratap Chandra Sarangi on Thursday lashed out at the BJD-led Odisha Government for failing to ensure justice to the five-year-old girl 'Pari' who was allegedly abducted and murdered in July this year in Nayagarh.
Briefing a presser, Sarangi said that the State government has no moral right to remain in power as it utterly failed to make a major breakthrough in the investigation into the brutal murder of the little girl.
He said that his party will take its fight to the grassroots level until the family gets justice. “We will take to the streets if needed,” he said.
Appreciating the local sarpanch of Pari's village- Soumya Ranjan, the Union Minister said that the young and dynamic leader needs to come forward in such cases. Sarangi also hailed the sarpanch for exposing the BJD Leader and Minister Arun Sahoo in the case.
The Union Minister asked "If Minister Arun Sahoo was not involved in the case, why he was threatening the sarpanch and influencing others. Allegations of Sahoo's involvement in many other cases have also surfaced in different occasions. Still, he is roaming scot-free as the government didn't bring him under the purview of investigation."
He was not even questioned by police once in the case even after the parents of Pari have directly accused him of giving shelter to the prime accused in the barbaric crime.
Sarangi also hit out at Congress for remaining soft on such a sensitive issue.
"Congress is looking for power and political favour but not justice for Pari. The party lent a hand to the BJD in this matter," the Union Minister alleged.
He raised suspicion over the SIT probe as the agency comes under the same government whose minister is allegedly involved. So, the entire case should be investigated by a transparent central agency like CBI, he added.