Uproar in Orissa assembly over Collector's abduction

Bhubaneswar, Feb 18: The Opposition parties disrupted proceedings in the rissa Assembly for the second consecutive day on Friday over abduction of Malkangiri District Collector R Vineel Krishna.

As Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat asked ministers to reply to questions put by treasury bench members, Oppsition MLAs rushed towards his podium shouting slogans at the top of their voice.

Accusing the BJD government of mishandling the situation arising out of Malkangiri Collector abduction incident, a section of Congress MLAs succeeded in occupying the Speaker's podium despite resistance from marshals.

As the treasury bench members and opposition MLAs virtually clashed with each other on the podium, speaker Amat adjourned the house till 3 pm.

Meanwhile, Congress MLAs criticised the State government and the Chief Minister accusing them of not taking the House into confidence.

"The government announced regarding halt of combing operation outside while the assembly is in session," alleged the leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh.

Vineel Krishna was kidnapped by Maoists on Thursday when he was returning after an interaction programme in Gumma block of tribal-dominated Malkangiri district.

Maoists have issued a four-page letter in Telugu on the abduction outlining seven demands, including ending Operation Greenhunt and release of arrested Maoists.

They also said the Collector, Vineel Krishna, has been part of the 'repressive regime' in Orissa and is therefore not above board despite claims that he was working for the poor.

The letter, faxed to some media houses in Orissa, is the first confirmation that the abduction has been carried out by the Maoists

The incident happened just two days before Home Minister P Chidambaram's scheduled video-conference with the Collectors of 60 Maoist-hit districts.

ANI