Orissa deserves President's rule - Congress

Bhubaneswar, Oct 4 (UNI) Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena today said the state deserved to be placed under the President's Rule as the government had utterly failed to contain the communal violence.

The state Congress president demanded stern action against the rioters and urged the Centre to immediately intervene into the matter to improve the situation before the violence could spread to other parts of the state.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today sought a report from the Governor about the prevailing situation in the state in general and Kandhamal in particular.

He asked Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare to send a report on whether the state needed to be put under the President's Rule.

When asked, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he had no information about the Centre's move.letter written by Union Home Minister to the state in this regard did not reflect anything about it.

The communal violence, which erupted following the murder of VHP leader Swami Laxamananda Saraswati and four of his disciples on August 23, continued unabated till today.

Mr Jena said the violence had destroyed the secular fabric and defamed the state in the national and international arenas.

He alleged that the ruling party was behind the communal violence and the rioters of the Sangh Parivar were indulging in violence.

The Chief Minister, the Congress president said, was not taking any action against the frontal organisations of the BJP to save his own chair.

Mr Jena alleged that the Chief Minister was trying to take political mileage from the miseries of the tribals and the harijans.

He said it was unfortunate that the Chief Minister had not yet convened an all-party meeting to restore peace in the area.

UNI BD-DP SJC PK PM1945