Bhubaneswar, Nov 3: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has embraced several tainted leaders involved in many crimes, alleged State BJP Vice President Lekhashree Samantasinghar on Friday.

Addressing a press conference at the party's State headquarters here, Samantasinghar made a veiled attack on the Chief Minister for allegedly sheielding BJD leaders, Ministers and MLAs in multiple crime cases.

"Several leaders of the ruling BJD including many Ministers and MLAs are involved in many crimes such as rape, gangrape and corruption in the State. BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has embraced such tainted leaders. There are many examples of many tainted leaders and Ministers being protected in Naveen Patnaik's government. Now, in a shameful act, State's Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain is shielding the prime accused in the alleged gangrape of a minor girl in Kendrapara," Samantasinghar said.

"A student in Kendrapada was kidnapped and raped in Cuttack on October 17. Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain's close associate and the prime accused in the crime Suryakant Sahu of Athagarh, Sataranjan Sahu of Lalbagh area in Cuttack and Cuttack CDA-based Oyo Hotel Manager Ranjit Swain have been arrested. However, neither the hotel owner was arrested nor the hotel was sealed so far. Why is the Commissionerate Police destroying the evidence without sealing the hotel and protecting the criminals after who's direction? she asked.

"On the other hand, Ramakant Pani, a Lecturer of Kudanagari College in Koruar of Kendrapara district, where the victim is studying, has a close relationship with Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak. Ramakant's wife is the general secretary of BJD's women wing. Soon the case was lodged in the police station, Ramakant reached the police station and hospital. Even the victim's father alleged that Ramakant has a key role to destroy the case. It is clear that BJD is protecting the accused person in the Kendrapara gangrape case," the BJP leader added.

"Odisha has become the crime centre under the BJD regime. Biju Janata Dal Jeunthi, Duskarma Seithi (Wherever there is sexual exploitation of women in Odisha, BJD is there). BJP is reprimanding the ruling BJD for its 23 years of bad governance." she said.

"Former Minister and BJD leader Pratap Jena has been elected as Mahanga MLA since 2009. More than five political murders have occurred in Mahanga area, which was once known as a peaceful area, including the 2021 double murder case in the last 14 years. Jena was allegedly involved in all these incidents directly or indirectly. However, BJD president and CM Naveen Patnaik assigned him as the party's organizational responsibility in Kendrapara district. Jena, who is accused in the Mahanga double murder case, is disobeying the order of the court and lying about being treated in the hospital," she pointed out.

"The Chief Minister has been protecting several tainted leaders like Arun Sahoo, Dibyshankar Mishra, Vijay Shankar Das, Sameer Das, Pratap Jena who are allegedly involved in various criminal cases."

BJP will convey this matter to the people in the statewide protest to be held in all the blocks of the State from November 14 to 18, she said.

Read: Odisha News

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