Bhubaneswar: The arrest of the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Bikram Kumar Panda and his associates in the BJP leader Pitabasa Panda murder case has sparked a sharp exchange of words between the two parties.
Senior BJD leaders in a press conference here on Wednesday alleged that the arrest of ex-MLA and the current Ganjam district BJD president Bikram Panda in the murder case is purely driven by political motives.
Alleging the involvement of Gopalpur MLA and state Mines minister in the murder case, the BJD leaders accused that the ex-MLA was deliberately framed in the case to save the state government and the minister. They alleged that the Berhampur police failed to present any concrete evidence in support of Bikram Panda’s involvement in the case.
Speaking at the press conference, senior BJD leader Pramila Mallik on Wednesday stated that during the past 16 months of BJP rule, law and order in the state has deteriorated significantly, with Ganjam district topping the list in terms of incidences of crime.
Mallik claimed that during the 152 rape cases and 128 murder cases were registered in Ganjam alone during the above period. She further alleged that in the recent past, illegal sand mining has peaked in Ganjam, leading to multiple violent incidents. (IANS)
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