Click to play videoNew Delhi: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has asked the Governor of Orissa Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare to send a report on whether the state needs to put under President's rule.
Patil spoke to Governor Bhandare on Saturday afternoon and discussed the situation in the state.
The Union Home Minister had on Friday sent a strongly-worded letter to Orissa Chief Minster Naveen Patnaik asking him to do more to control the violence that has been going on for the last month in some of the districts of the state.
The Union Cabinet, too, had slammed the state government for its inability to control the violence.
More than 30 people have died in the last two months of anti-Christian riots, mostly in Kandhamal district of the state.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also reacted very strongly on the worsening law and order situation, calling for a special Cabinet meeting on the situation.
Manmohan also said he was embarrassed by the violence in the state during his tour to France last week.
A special Cabinet meeting to discuss the law and order situation in Orissa is most likely to place next week.
Minister of State, Home, Shakeel Ahmad said, "Yes it is a very serious situation and the Government of India and the Cabinet have taken a decision that a Cabinet meeting will be convened especially for Kandhamal. The Prime Minister has also asked that the situation be brought to normalcy as soon as possible. The Home Minister has also written a letter to the Chief Minister of Orissa. The government of India is watching the situation and if things will not improve, the consequences will be very harsh for the government and the parties involved there.”
“It is the responsibility of the state government to bring the situation under control. But unfortunately for the last one month violence is continuing and a number of people have been affected. People have been attacked even in the relief camps. So it is a very pathetic situation and Government of Orissa cannot escape its responsibility and the Government of India has asked them specifically to take control of the situation and try to curb the violent incidents," Ahmad said.
The Minister of State, Home, also said now the onus is on the Orissa government to restore normalcy.
“The government is weighing every option the decision will be taken when the time comes. Orissa government and people involved will be responsible for the consequences,” he said.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declined to comment saying he has no knowledge of the Centre's plan to impose President's rule.
"I have no information on this matter that you are referring. To my information, no violence has taken place in Kandhamal district today," Ratnaik said.
Meanwhile, the Left has demanded that all cases relating to atrocities against the minorities in Orissa be referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as the state had failed to provide security.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Politburo said the authorities did not take action against the nun's gang rape accused until the media exposed it.
In a statement issued in New Delhi, the CPI-M said, "Cognizance of serious crimes such as the gang rape of a nun and the public parading in the naked perpetrated six weeks earlier had not even been taken into account by the authorities, till exposed by the media. The Politburo of the CPI-M demands that this case as well as the other serious ones are handed over to the CBI for investigation and speedy punishment of the guilty."
Other Left Front constituents including the Communist party of India and the Forward Bloc support CPI-M's views on Orissa violence.
Forward Bloc National Secretary G Devarajan said the violence in Orissa was a national shame. ''We appeal to the BJD leadership to snap ties with the BJP in the larger interests of the country."
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