Date:03/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/03/stories/2008090355871200.htm

National

Congress calls for Central invention in Orissa

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday raised the pitch against the Naveen Patnaik government and urged Central intervention following the grave law and order problem in Orissa. It sought a CBI probe into the killings and violence.

A delegation from Orissa led by Union Minister Ajay Maken, who is in charge of Congress affairs in the State, submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil. It appealed to her to “immediately intervene in the matter as required under the law of the land and the powers conferred on you in the Constitution of India and give protection to the life and property of the citizens of the State and in particular to the minority community.”

The delegation included Pradesh Congress chief Jayadev Jena; Union Minister of State Chandra Sekhar Sahu; the former Chief Minister, Girdhar Gamang; the former Union Ministers, K.P. Singh Deo and Srikant Jena; Deputy Congress Legislature Party leader Narsingh Mishra; the former MP, Srivallav Panigrahi; and MPs Sushila Tiriya and R.K. Nayak.

Briefing journalists, Mr. Maken and Congress media department head M. Veerappa Moily demanded that Mr. Patnaik resign on moral grounds and that the Orissa government refer the cases of violence to the CB I.