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April 01, 2009 Bhubaneshwar: The Christian
community in Orissa as well as some political parties
have condemned the BJP’s decision to nominate Kandhamal
riot-accused Manoj Pradhan as the party candidate from G
Udaygiri Assembly constituency of the riothit district.
Pradhan, a Kui tribal who is the main accused and
alleged mastermind behind the recent anti-Christian
riots in Kandhamal, is now lodged in G
Udaygiri jail. Police officials said he has been booked
in 10 cases of which seven are related to murder during
the riot.
All India Christian Council head John Dayal said he was
not surprised by the nomination. “I was expecting that
BJP would play the communal card in Kandhamal. Only the
BJP can have the temerity to add salt to the wounds of
the riot-hit people. L K Advani should be ashamed that
his party is choosing a person accused of murders. BJP
has no decency left,” he said over phone.
Dayal said BJP’s plan to whip up communal hysteria in
Kandhamal is evident from its choosing Hindu Jagaran
Sammukhya leader and former IPS officer Ashok Sahu as
the candidate for Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency.
Joseph Kalathil, Vicar-General of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar
Diocese, said Christians in the state were very
concerned. “It is very unfortunate. He is very notorious
in Raikia area of Kandhamal,” Kalathil said.
The BJD also came down heavily on its former alliance
partner. “This amply proves their involvement in the
riots. Our party will make it an issue during campaign
in Kandhamal,” BJD spokesman Damodar Rout said.
However, BJP leaders said the police were trying to
fabricate cases against him. “He is not involved in the
riots. He is quite popular in that area. Besides, he has
not been convicted in any case. So what’s the harm in
nominating him?” asked BJP leader Golak Mohapatra.
Police officials in Kandhamal said Pradhan, the
30-something Kandhamal district general secretary of
BJP’s youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, was
arrested from a lodge in Berhampur town on the night of
October 15. Baliguda subdivisional police officer Sudha
Singh said that of the 10 cases lodged against him in
the police stations of Raikia, G Udaygiri and Tikabali,
seven were of murder. Singh said Pradhan has not got
bail in any of the cases though he has been
chargesheeted in six.
In the Raikia police station, Pradhan has seven cases
against him, four of which are for murder. “In the first
case he was accused of murdering Bikram Nayak, a
Christian of Tiangia village while in the second he was
allegedly involved in the murder of Trinath Digal of
Tiangia. He was also involved in the murder of Dasarath
Pradhan and Parikshit Nayak of the same village. All
these murders happened on August 25 but were reported to
police on August 28,” said officer-in-charge R N Barik.
“He was also involved in the attack of Raikia police
station on September 30 last year, which resulted in the
death of three persons,” he said.
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