Says CM pressurided ex-DGP to arrest him
OJM president and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra on Saturday said Excise and Cooperation Minister Dr Damodar Rout’s personal aspersions on him vis-a-vis arrest of Maoists are condemnable and politically motivated.
According to reports, Dr Rout had on Friday while participating in a TV discussion on the arrest of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda had alleged that police were earlier unable to arrest top Maoist leaders during Mohapatra’s association with the BJD as its pathfinder.
Mohapatra said the Minister is trying to create a false notion in the minds of people that he (Mohapatra) is associated with Maoists. “The Minister is making a conspiracy to mislead the people against me,” Mohapatra said.
On the other hand, Mohapatra alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was putting pressure on former Director General of Police Prakash Mishra to arrest him on the false charge of his having relationship with Maoists. “Being afraid of huge crowds at various OJM public meetings, the Chief Minister was concocting ‘proofs’ against me that I was associated with Maoists and had a personal relationship with Sabyasachi Panda.”
He further alleged that the Government has arrested “innocent” youth leader Sangram Mohanty and implicated him in as many as 19 false cases only to show that he (Mohapatra) is involved in Maoist activities.