BHUBANESWAR: With Kodala slowly returning to normalcy after four deaths in the past week of violence, the Opposition parties have stepped up attack on the Government. Both the Congress and the BJP on Sunday demanded a judicial probe, by a sitting judge of the High Court, into the police firing that claimed two lives and left many injured with bullet wounds. The Congress called the incident barbaric while the BJP pointed out to the ‘jungle raj’ in the State. The Government has already ordered an administrative probe by the RDC.“The Government must fix a time-limit for the judicial commission to submit its report within three months,” senior Congress leader Narsingha Mishra told mediapersons here. Condemning the police firing, Mishra called it barbaric, uncivilised and unconstitutional.Accusing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of using police force for political purpose, the former law minister held him responsible for the incident. “The Congress demands that the Chief Minister step down as he has no moral right to continue,” Mishra said.The people of Kodala have been protesting the police inaction on the illicit liquor traders and anti-socials who have made their life miserable. The law enforcing authority should have used minimum force to disperse the mob, he said.Responding to a query, Mishra said that BJD workers are involved in illicit liquor trade and they have been targeting the Congress workers.At a separate Press conference, senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra alleged that a volatile situation is prevailing in the State due to rapid deterioration of law and order. The Chief Minister, who is in charge of Home department since 2000, has failed to discharge his duty. A ‘jungle raj’ is prevailing in the State, he remarked.What was the provocation for the law enforcing authority to resort to firing on the agitating people at Kodala if the Government could tolerate similar road blockade at Kalinganagar for over a year, he wondered.Mohapatra, who led a team of BJP leaders to Kodala on Saturday to get first-hand information about the incident, said about 300 people from 53 villages met the District Collector on July 4 and submitted a memorandum demanding action against the anti-socials, who have made their life miserable. They further complained that the police were giving protection to the criminals who are mostly in the illicit liquor trade.Even a BJD zilla parishad member complained against the Government for doing nothing to protect the common people from the daily harassment of the anti-socials.
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