The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has constituted a committee comprising four Members of Parliament to probe into recent communal violence that had taken place in Odisha’s Sambalpur town.
The four members Brijlal, Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, Samir Oraon and Aditya Sahoo, Rajya Sabha MPs from Jharkhand and Jyotirmaya Singh Mahato, MP of Purulia from West Bengal have been asked to visit Sambalpur and submit a fact-based report to BJP President J. P. Nadda.
The constitution of a probe team came close on the heels of recent visit of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes member Anant Nayak to Sambalpur to meet the family of the youth killed during the violence.
The communal violence had triggered when miscreants pelted stones at a massive bike rally taken out in the run up to Hanuman Jayanti celebration in the second week of April.
Hanuman Jayanti Samonyoya Samiti (HJSS), under the banner of which the bike rally was taken out, accused that the stone pelting was preplanned as the rally came under attack when it was passing through Muslim dominated colonies of Sambalpur. The stone-pelting left 10 police personnel and scores of bikers injured.
Peeved over attack, the HJSS had called for 36-hour bandh. It was backed by State unit of BJP. The party had also sent an MLA delegation to Sambalpur to take stock of the situation.
During Hanuman Jayanti celebration, shops were set on fire and stones were pelted. One Chitamani Mirdha, a 30-year-old youth of Kisan tribe of Sanasinghari village on the outskirts of Sambalpur town was stabbed to death while he was returning home after taking part in the Hanuman Jayanti procession.
Odisha government had suspended Internet services and clamped curfew and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC to prevent further escalation. The Viswa Hindu Parishad backed by BJP had also observed bandh in 14 districts mostly in western Odisha region.
While BJP leaders have been accusing the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of failing to provide protection to people, the BJD alleged that the saffron party was pursuing its communal agenda. The BJD leaders further said the BJP was trying to take advantage of Sambalpur communal violence and carry on the momentum to neighbouring Jharsuguda constituency which is going to by-poll following murder of minister Naba Kishore Das.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed party’s decision to constitute a probe team and asked the BJD government to follow ‘Rajadharma’ with respect to Samabalpur communal violence. He demanded the police take action against culprits.
“The utter failure of district administration has led to violence in which many people were injured and properties were damaged. A youth belonging to tribal community was murdered. The local police mentioned this in its complaint. The NCST member was not cooperated. The police administration was biased in handling the situation,” Mr. Pradhan said.
