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"There have been violent incidents and communal clashes in other states as well. Why the Orissa Government should be targeted?" he shot back during an interview to Karan Thapar for the Devil's Advocate programme.
Refuting the charge that the BJD-BJP government was acting in complicity with VHP and Bajrang Dal, Patnaik said a number of persons arrested for the communal violence in the state belonged to these two groups.
“It is totally unjustified and politically motivated," the 62-year-old BJD leader said referring demand by Opposition parties for dismissal of his government. "My government is doing its best to bring the situation under control."
Claiming that action had been taken against the two right wing Hindu outfits for attacks on churches and Christians, he said, "every bone in my body is secular and I don't think any of those bones have been damaged".
He denied that the recent violence has dented his secular image and that minorities feel let down by him after Kandhamal.
"I feel I have not let down anyone in my state to whichever community they belong," he said, while condemning the incidents of communal violence there as ‘horrible and shameful’.
Asked about parallels being drawn between him and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the situation in Kandhamal and Gujarat communal violence, Patnaik commented ‘that comparison cannot be made rationally by anyone.’
Patnaik described as ‘inaccurate’ the charges that he had not handled the situation properly and effectively and acted as a puppet in the hands of saffron outfits.
The Chief Minister said the state government tried to deal with the situation sternly and also ‘acted with sympathy as far as victims are concerned’.
"Crime Branch has begun inquiry into the violence that began from August 23 and judicial enquiry has also been ordered," he said.
In a clear hint that BJD-BJP alliance would continue in the state owing to the ‘mathematics of seat sharing,’ Patnaik said the ‘alliance is there for more than ten years. We have won parliamentary, assembly, panchayats and municipal elections. We are sanguine with our victories.’
Patnaik also denied that the state police suppressed the letters left by the Naxals at the site where the VHP leader Laxmananda Saraswati was killed, losing to a communal flare-up.
"Why should the police suppress the letter. Three persons have been arrested for killing the Swami and they will get to the truth," he said.
Patnaik also rejected the allegation that the state government acted much later and only when pressure mounted on him. "Actions were taken from the very beginning of the violence," he said and blamed the inhospitable terrain of the region for the delay in containing violence against the minorities in Kandhamal and adjacent areas.
Terming the rape of a nun during the violence as ‘shameful and barbaric crime’ Patnaik claimed, "the moment we came to know about it the inspector in charge of the area was suspended."
Patnaik denied claims that he did not take action in the rape case even after the matter was brought to his notice by the Archbishop of Cuttack, CPM leader Brinda Karat and Head of the Missionaries of Charity Sister Nirmala.
"Archbishop did not meet or spoke to me after violence broke out in Kandhamal. Brinda Karat, too, did not discuss about the nun's rape when she met me while Sister Nirmala's letter came much later," he added.
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Good statement. All Politicians speak the same. There is no bone in their tongue so what they speak doesnot have bonefactor
Orissa CM, Patnaik comes through the interview (Every bone in my body is secular-Orissa CM 10/10) as an upright person. What happened in Kandhamal is most unfortunate but the fact remains that religious passions once ignited by a major event spread like wildfire and our police are most ill-equipped to handle such flare ups. And, if the terrain happens to be inhospitable as in the present case, the PS staff are further severely handicapped. In the meanwhile tthe communally inflamed mobs wreak havoc. This is what happened in Orissa. The solution doesn't lie in dismissing a democratically elected government. It lies in smaller districts, more and well-staffed PSs, better mobility and special training for handling local flareups. Will this ever be done? I'm not hopeful for the powers-that-be look for politically convenient solutions like dismissing the governments and neglect the basic issues. Any wonder then there is a recurrence of tragedies at regular intervals.
"Secular bones" (whatever they are) don't make a secular soul or a secular and efficient administration with moral courage to take bold steps against hooliganism practised in the name of religion.
WHY ONLY HINDUS HAVE TO PROVE HOW MUCH SECULAR THEY ARE AND HOW MUCH SECULARS OTHERS ARE ?
By just saying so, does not make one a secular or any other. If he is so secular, then why his party is in coalition with the BJP/RSS? Just to stay in power!
Its absurd that the opposition is demanding for a president's rule.What has hapnd in Assam,why dont we have there?UPA govt is trying every new strategy to destabilise the non congress governments and i am sure there is some ploy in the attacks .Please concentrate on getting the things back to normal by helping the state government than destabilising it.Lets act together.The entire UPA is trying to destabilise the country than unifying and most of the politicians associated with UPA are the most corrupt that INDIA has seen in last 55 years.
NAVEEN PATTANAIK IS A COMPETENT AND HIGHLY ACCALIAMED SATTESMAN.HE HAS DONE VERY WELL IN THE GIVEN SITUATION WHEREIN THE CENTRAL GOVT HAS BEHAVED VERY PARTISAN.KANDHAMAL ISSUE IS A ETHNIC TROUBLE AND DIVIDE BETWEEN THE HINDUS KANDHAS(ADIVASIS) AND PANAS CHRISTIANS.THE FIRST PROBLEMS STRATED WITH THE KILLING OF SWAMY BUT IT HAS SPREAD AFTER WARDS WITH THE ETHNIC PROBLEMS AND EXPLOITATION OF KANDHAS BY THE PANA CHRISTIANS.THE WHOLE OF NAXALITES IN THE DISTRICTS NEIGHBORUING THE KANDHAMAL IS FULL OF CHRISTIANS AND THEY HAVE FUNDED AND SUPPLIED ARMS AND AMMUNITIONS BY THE FOREIGN POWERS WITH THE HELP OF CHRISTIANS.UNTILL THE GOVT SOLVES THE PROBLEMS OF THE KANDHAS THE PROBLEMS WOULD REMAINB SAME.BUT THE DEMAND AND QUESTION OF IMPOSITION OF PRESIDENTIAL RULE IN ORISSA IS HIGHLY ILLEGAL.
y therse Karan Thapar etc are not asking same type of questins when they are interviewing terorists and their families and theri supporters like shabana azmi,javed akthar,medhwa patek,lalu prasad, mulayam singh,.@ that time these people become so soft that...fells as though they dnt have nay qwuestions.. l
How can a pagn's bones be secloolar? Only great Bamponthi, Islam and Christian can be secloolar because their noble religions come from foreign countries. Shame on calling these bones secloolar when he is born in India and not even converted.
To the secloolar, bamponthis are secular because this gives them votes, power, and plenty of money.. as far as the muslims goes, we are not so sure.. those of us who have spent their lives in pakistan and bangladesh will not agree to that.
here the issue is not communal. It is between haves and havenots. For every conversion Rs.70000/- is paid to each of the family member and suddenly there is a divide. Those who do not convert remain poor. And all the anger is poured out over the converts and the cristians