Breaking his silence over former Congress MlA Ramesh Jena’s arrest, PCC president Prasad Harichanda on Thursday said the State Government has implicated Jena in false cases out of vendetta.
“The Congress had organised a Jagaran Padayatra at Sankhemundi recently where thousands of people gathered under the leadership of former MlA Ramesh Jena. The ruling BJD was frightened to see people’s response to the Congress and, out of jealousness, has filed false cases against him and his family members,” said Harichandan in response to a question at a Press meet here.
Besides, the induction of former Sankhemundi block BJD chairman in the Congress during the Padayatra has also not been digested by the ruling dispensation. Ramesh has been a victim of political vendetta of the BJD, he said, and wanted to know why Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is silent over the “proven involvement of his party colleagues with Dhalsamant brothers.”
The PCC chief, however, remained mum while was asked about the party’s proposed Brahmapur IG office gherao on March 11 and whether he would attend the protest meeting.
He alleged that the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre and the BJD Government in the State are in nexus to hand over the Niyamgiri bauxite mine to the Vedanta at the cost of tribals’ interest.
“The UPA Government had introduced the PESA Act and the Forest Rights Act (FRA) to provide rights over forest land to tribals. But the NDA and the BJD Governments are trying to protect interests of industrialists,’ he alleged.
Attending the Press conference, AICC SC and ST department chairman K Raju demanded that the Centre and State Government ensure proper implementation of the FRA through Gram Sabhas.