BJP leader seeks probe into Collector''s abduction and release

Bhubaneswar, Feb 26 (PTI) Terming the abduction ofMalkangiri Collector R V Krishna as a "mystery," a BJP leadertoday lashed out at the Orissa Government for conceding toMaoists'' "unjust pleas" and demanded a probe into the entireepisode by the Centre .

"The whole abduction episode, which raised a number ofquestions and doubts, must be probed thoroughly by the uniongovernment," senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra told reportershere, two days after Krishna was freed.

The abduction had exposed failure of governance anddemocratic functioning in the state under the BJD government,he said, adding that the entire police force had beencompletely demoralised due to the manner in which the NaveenPatnaik regime bowed to the Maoists.

Stating that there were abductions in Chhattisgarh andBihar before the last general elections, Mohapatra saidnowhere did the state governments concerned conceded anydemands of the Maoists.

"On the contrary, anti-Maoist operation in entireOrissa was stopped the moment the district collector wasabducted," the BJP leader said.

Asking the BJD government to explain under whatcircumstances it succumbed to the pressure of theMaoist-appointed mediators, he said, "it has set a dangerousprecedent and sent a wrong signal in Maoist-hit states."

Pointing out that during discussions with mediators,state government officials had said there should be nocoercive action, Mohapatra said such a statement wasunfortunate.

"Does it mean coercive action was being resortedto all these days before Krishna''s abduction," he said.

Recalling that there were reports before last generalelections about abduction threat to Collectors of Rayagada andMalkangiri districts, he sought to know what preventive stepsthe state government had taken in the region.

Claiming that the whole incident was shrouded by mystery,Mohapatra alleged that the way events were portrayed by mediait looked like a drama and the government would haveto answer many questions.

"If any agreement was signed with mediators, it shouldbe made public and tabled in assembly," he said.

Mohapatra said the chief minister should also explain asto what led to the situation and who had organised the camp inChitrakonda area where the Collector had gone before beingabducted.