Politics of Elimination

Bhubaneswar (Surjit Kumar Dhal): Angul district BJP unit termed the murder case of Sagar Pradhan as a political murder. In a memorandum submitted to the district superintendent of police. Angul BJP demanded arrest of all the co-accused in the murder case of Sagar Pradhan at Durgapur village on Thursday night. According to sources, one Sagar Pradhan of Durgapur village under Jarapada police station was hacked to death by another villager Gobinda Pradhan.

Sagar was sleeping on a pindi after watching a Danda dance in his village near his house Thursday night. Seeing Sagar sleeping alone Gobinda hacked him to death on the spot. Gibanda reportedly axed him and after murdering Sagar he fled to jungle. Police nabbed him there and forwarded to court. Though the police termed it as personal enmity, BJP said Sagar was a BJP worker and was active in last panchayat election. The district BJP president Dileswar Pradhan said there was a tussle between Sagar and Gobinda, a BJD supporter, on the distribution of money during the panchayat election. Pradhan also said that the murder took place because of political rivalry caused during the panchayat poll. He alleged that there were nine more accused but police didn’t arrest them. They demanded arrest of all the co-accused.

A delegation of BJP led by Dileswar Pradhan and state General Secretary Kalandi Samal went to Durgapur village and met the victim’s family. They also met Saroj Samal, the IIC of Jarapada police station and demanded action against other accused. BJD district president Mahendra Bastia denied that Gobinda has any connection with BJD. He charged the BJP of coloring the incident.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday condemned the murder of Sagar Pradhan, a BJP worker of Chhendipada in Angul district, in post-poll violence. Targeting the ruling BJD for creating a hostile situation across the State after the polls. The Union Minister said the aim is to smash political powers of the Opposition through violence.

“Those who preach that violence has no place in politics and demand that the word ‘Ahimsa’ be added to the Preamble of the Constitution have made an unwritten announcement to destroy the Opposition forces through violence,” tweeted Pradhan without naming Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. “I am deeply saddened hearing the brutal killing of the BJP activist. It seems that there is no end to violence post the panchayat and urban local body elections. It is a major concern for Odisha,” he said.