Bhubaneswar: Leader of the Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday expressed deep anguish over the killing of a youth belonging to a minority community in Balasore district, allegedly over accusations of illegal cattle smuggling.
Patnaik conveyed his concern during a meeting with senior party leaders at Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar.
Acting on his instructions, a high-level BJD delegation visited Balasore the same day to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the death of Seikh Makarand Muhamad, a resident of Astia village under Balasore Sadar police limits.
Speaking to the media, senior BJD leader Sanjay Das Burma said the party president was deeply disturbed by the incident and sought a detailed account of the events leading to the youth’s death.
“The BJD president has expressed deep anguish over the incident. As per his directions, a delegation led by MP Sulata Deo, senior leader and former minister Prafulla Samal, and Bhadrak Municipality chairperson Gulmaki Habib visited the residence of the deceased and will also meet district police authorities,” Das Burma said.
He alleged that such a heinous incident had never occurred in Odisha since Independence and termed it a reflection of a deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state. Das Burma further claimed that attacks on minorities have increased since the “double-engine government” came to power.
The BJD strongly condemned the incident, he added, noting that Naveen Patnaik wanted comprehensive details regarding the killing.
Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das also targeted the state government, alleging a rise in atrocities against minorities, Dalits, and tribals following the BJP’s assumption of power in the state.
According to family members of the deceased, Muhamad, who worked as a helper on a pick-up van, was allegedly attacked by a group of cow vigilantes on January 14. He sustained serious injuries in the assault. Police rushed him to a nearby hospital after being alerted, but he later succumbed to his injuries.
The incident has triggered political reactions across party lines, with demands for accountability and a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the killing.
