Click to play videoBhubaneswar, Orissa: Orissa’s Kandhamal district is in a state of tension after 40 people, who are believed to be Naxals, killed a local swami there. And even after the Chief Minister has called for a judicial enquiry into the incident, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has called for a statewide bandh on Monday.
A day after a Naxal attack on the ashram of Laxmanananda Saraswati left the Swami and four others dead, the district of Kandhamal is on the edge.
A letter left at the site, states that the killings were to avenge the Swami's alleged involvement in riots that took place last December. Even as senior police officials monitor the situation, Section 144 has been imposed in the district and additional forces have been deployed.
The Chief Minister also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh to be paid to the next of kin.
"I strongly condemn the incident and request all to maintain peace and calm. Stern action will be taken against the miscreants,” says Chief Minister Orissa Naveen Patnaik.
But the Chief Minister's call for peace seems to have fallen on deaf ears because the VHP and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) have called for a 12-hour statewide bandh on Monday. Kandhamal SP has also been suspended.
"In last four decades the swami was attacked several times. He had said that there was threat to his life but police failed to protect him. There have been a conspiracy for long to kill him by several agents,” says, Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Nischalanda Saraswati.
Representatives of various Christian communities have expressed solidarity with the VHP's bandh call and have condemned the attack.
"The people who have attacked the ashram has no religion. Its a heinous crime,” says President YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) Orissa Dr Swarupananda Patra.
After the communal riots in Kandhamal, which occurred on December last year, Swami Laaxmananda Saraswati was provided police protection. In fact a section of the police force was also deployed near the ashram that was attacked. But in spite of all these arrangements, the state police could not prevent the Naxal strike.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
