Togadia accuses Orissa govt of being soft towards Maoists

Bhubaneswar, Feb 21 (PTI) Accusing BJD government inOrissa of being soft towards Maoists that led to the abductionof Malkangiri district collector and a junior engineer, VHPtoday asked it to refrain from surrendering before the ultras.

"The government should not surrender before Maoists orany group engaged in armed rebellion and working against theconstitution of the country," senior VHP leader Pravin Togadiatold reporters here.

Hitting out at Naveen Patnaik government for theabduction of Malkangiri collector R V Krishna and juniorengineer Pabitra Majhi, Togadia said such a situation hasarisen as the BJD government was soft towards Maoists.

Asking the state government to adopt a proper strategy toensure safe release of the hostages and also to eliminate theMaoists, he said, "It is the duty of the government to seethat the abducted persons return safely."

The VHP leader said the BJD government was answerable tothe people for the abduction episode and asked that "if theCollector of a district is unsafe, who else can be safe"?

Maoists were encouraged as the killers of VHP leaderLaxmanananda Saraswati were not punished, he said adding thegovernment should not do anything which would encourage theactivities of the red rebels.

"If Maoists are not eliminated, a Nepal like situationwould be created here," Togadia warned and said if NaveenPatnaik was honest he should arrest the killers of Saraswatiand hang them.

The government should give maximum importance to health,education and employment in tribal areas to keep them awayfrom Maoist influence, he said.

On corruption, the VHP leader said special courts shouldbe set up to try corruption cases and politicians foundinvolved in corruption should be hanged.

Terming religious conversion as an attack on the oldidentity of a person, Togadia said any attempt at conversionshould be opposed.