The image of the BJD Government has been getting sullied every passing day due to the virtual protectionist policy towards former Minister Raghunath Mohanty. The former law Minister is now at large taking law into his hand after he faced the dowry torture charges by his daughter-in-law Barsa Soni Choudhuy.
When the entire State is clamouring for the arrest of Mohanty since his resignation on March 15 last , his being at large has not been giving a positive signal for the ruling BJD and the Chief Minister who has been championing the cause of transparency and creating a hype that law would take its own course.
In a bid to check further erosion of the party image, BJD has started mounting pressure on Mohanty to respect law and surrender. After a 48-hour of Government Chief Whip Pravat Tripathy's virtual ultimatum to Mohanty to surrender, the Government Deputy Chief Whip Sanjaya Dasburma on Friday spoke in the same vein.
"Being a senior party colleague, I would like to request Raghunath Mohanty to respect the law first before anything worst happens," appealed Dasburma with a veiled warning that law would take its own course in case of the senior BJD leader.
Dasburma made it clear to Mohanty that Chief Minister Patnaik has been known for his commitment towards law and said he would not spare any erring persons irrespective of whether he is a bureaucrat or an influential political leader, including a party men.
Earlier on Mach 26, Government Chief Whip Tripathy, taking exception to Mohanty's remaining underground, had advised him: "It is better for Mohanty to surrender or immediately secure bail from any court of law without delay."
However, Tripathy had rejected the allegation from various quarters, including the opposition political parties, that the Chief Minister had been shielding Mohanty evading arrest.
However, the issue of Mohanty remaining at large and the police inaction had already created uproar in the State Assembly with the Opposition Congress and BJP members demanding clarification from the Chief Minister being the Home Minister on the issue. They sought to know from the Chief Minister to also state what led the Government to refer the dowry torture case against Mohanty and family members to the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) and give any other instances of handing over the cases for inquiry by the HRPC.
The Congress has been alleging that the oft- repeated statement that 'law would take its course' of the Chief Minister was not being applied in case of Mohanty. The Chief Minister was shielding Mohanty and had given a space to evade arrest, the party members had alleged.
Meanwhile, various women organisations, including the BJP Mahila Morcha and State Mahila Congress, have started a State-wide agitation against Mohanty.