Maoists Threaten Odisha Minister, 8 Others For Alleged Anti-Tribal Activities
10 April, Bhubaneswar
The Bansdhara-Ghumsuara-Nagabali(BGN) Divisional Committee of the CPI (Maoist) has threatened death sentence for Odisha SC/ST Welfare Minister Lalbihari Himrika, ruling BJD Lanjigarh MLA Balabhadra Majhi and seven others for their ‘anti-tribal and anti-people’ activities.
A statement purportedly to have been signed and issued by BGN Divisional Committee Secretary Umakatna and circulated to the media here on March 25 said the Committee threatened capital punishment for Himirika, Majhi, BJD activists and contractors–Krushna Mohapatra, Managauda, Nakedi Bhaskar,Sudhir Das, Ratan Jain, Parsuram Sahu and Sekhar Sahu of Rayagada District for protecting the interest of companies like Vedant,Utkal Alumina, Hindalco, RSB and L&T, indulging in anti- tribal and anti- people activities.
Director General of Police Sanjeev Marik, when contacted, said he was not aware of any such statement but said an inquiry would be conducted to verify the authenticity of it. Maoist leader Umakanta said Majhi was working as an agent of the Vedant, converting the party workers’ meeting into a vedanta gram sabha, campaigning for the company and pressurising the SHGs to support Vedant.
It alleged that MLA, Biswanathpur block Chairman and Vice-Chairman,Lanjigarha, Pahadpadar,Bijapur Sarpanches and samithi members were acting as agents of the Vedant Company and exploiting the tribals.
These leaders were also branding local people involved in public movement as anti- development and terrorising them through CRPF, Umakanta further said. The MLA, local leaders and contractors were involved in corruption in PDS commodities and awarding contracts for various works, the Maoist alleged.
In view of this, it threatened capital punishment for Majhi and others if they failed to present themseleves before the people’s court ( Jana Adalat) admit their mistakes and tender an unconditional apology.
The statement also said that the state government was going to set up CRPF camps on the top of the Nivamgiri hills to protect the interest of the Vedant Company and appealed to the people to oppose the government’s efforts to establish the camps through an ‘armed struggle’ and launch a public movement against the DGP, Rayagada SP and the CRPF DIG.