Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Supremo Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP government, accusing it of failing to maintain law and order in the state and allowing ‘goondaraj’ to prevail.
Reacting strongly to the brutal daylight assault on a young couple on Giri Road in Berhampur, Naveen Patnaik said the incident has shaken the conscience of the people of Odisha.
In a strongly worded statement, Patnaik said, “Odisha is witnessing the terrifying spectacle of anarchy. It does not feel like BJP rule, but rather that goondaraj is rampant. The sight of a young man and woman being brutally beaten to near death in broad daylight on Berhampur’s Giri Road is utterly inhuman.”
He further alleged that criminals have become emboldened under the present dispensation. “The BJP government has handed Odisha over to criminals. Where is the police administration? Where is the rule of law?” he asked.
Patnaik expressed serious concern over public safety and questioned the government’s priorities. “How much longer will the BJP government jeopardize the safety of ordinary people? How much more shame will Odisha have to endure? People need security, not empty bombast,” he said.
The former Chief Minister warned that due to the complete breakdown of law and order, Odisha is being condemned across the country.
He demanded that the BJP government immediately stop ‘shielding criminals’ and take the strictest possible action against the guilty to restore the safety and confidence of the people.
The statement comes days after a young couple was mercilessly beaten with bamboo sticks in broad daylight in Berhampur, with the disturbing video of the incident going viral on social media. The incident took place on Giri Road under Baidyanathpur police limits. In the footage, it can be seen that a group of youths allegedly attacking the couple with sticks in public view.
