Naveen appeals for normalcy in Orissa Assembly

Bhubaneswar, Aug 2 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today appealed to the members of the state Assembly to restore normalcy in the House so that important matters concerning the state could be discussed.

Making a statement in the House on the defacement of the statue of Biju Patnaik by some miscreants, Mr Patnaik urged the people of the state to show utmost respect to all statues, memorials and plaques of the leaders of the state as well as the country and not demean ourselves by such act of vandalism.

The Chief Minister's statement came in the wake of furore in the House for the second day today over the incident.

While the ruling BJD and BJP members stalled the proceedings yesterday, the Opposition disrupted the business today forcing Speaker Maheswar Mohanty to adjourn the House several times and finally for the day.

Mr Patnaik said the barbaric act had been widely condemned by the people of Orissa and elsewhere in India. Even important persons in far off Indonesia were shocked by this news.

'' I too have condemned this savage act and appeal to the people of the state to pay respect to the statues of all persons irrespective of their party affiliations, ''he said.

Narrating the incident, the Chief Minister said he had unveiled the statue of Biju Babu at Raghunathpur on July 28 last which was damaged by some miscreants on the same night.

He said the ten people involved in the crime had been arrested, adding the investigation had so far revealed that former General Secretary of Jagatsinghpur district Congress party Uma Shankar Swain had masterminded the brutal act.

The Chief Minister said at the instance of Mr Swain all the nine people had mutilated the statue of Biju Patnaik at about 0300 hours on July 29. All the nine persons, he said, had confessed to the crime.

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