Defence Minister Monohar Parrikar, Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Ram Kripal Yadav and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday came down heavily on the State Government over the recent attack on the motorcade of Union Ministers Santosh Gangwar and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti at Bargarh.
“The State Government feels insecure despite the fact that the polls will be held in 2019. The ground under its feet is slipping,” observed Parrikar.
Condemning the incident, Parrikar said the Bargarh incident was pre-planned and the BJD activists did this out of fear and frustration.
When asked what he would do if he faces a Bargarh-like incident, Parrikar retorted, “I am the Defence Minister of the country. If anyone has guts, let him come in front of me.”
Parrikar who visited Odisha along with Yadav and Prtadhan for attending the Vikash rally in Cuttack of the BJP, said there was no need of extra security cover for him in a State like Odisha as it is a very peaceful State like Goa. “However, some elements are creating trouble out of frustration,” observed the Defence Minister who is the former Goa Chief Minister.
Union Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Ram Kripal Yadav described the Bargarh incident as very ‘unfortunate’. “I had never seen such incident anywhere in the country,” Yadav told reporters.
He said though there are political differences in Bihar, there is no goondaism among the parties. “But the incident which took place in Bargarh is open hooliganism. All I can say is that politics of this kind can be possible only in Odisha, not in any other part of this country. I strongly condemn this incident,” said Yadav.
Yadav further said, “I am not concerned over the security provisions. Ram Kripal Yadav is a common man. If he is attacked, the people of Odisha will save him.”
Pradhan said the ruling party in the State has adopted an undemocratic method of protest. “The people of Odisha always believe in democratic process. Slippers, sticks, stones and using filthy language are utterly undemocratic methods and those who practice these methods have an autocratic mentality. May God give them the wisdom,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra charged that a conspiracy was hatched to kill the Union Ministers and demanded that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik apologise for the unsavoury incident.
He also informed that a delegation of State BJP leaders would meet the President to apprise him about the incident soon.