Bhubaneswar, Nov 24 (PTI) Opposition BJP Wednesday targeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik questioning his silence on the kidnap and murder of Kalahandi woman teacher and accused the BJD government in Odisha of failing in all fronts.

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The BJP also strongly criticised Patnaik's absence in the Assembly, from his office in Lok Seba Bhavan here though he is undertaking district tours to distribute health cards among the people.

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Launching a blistering attack on the BJD government, the saffron party announced that it will continue its agitation against it till the Minister of State for Home D S Mishra is removed from his post in connection with the Kalahandi teacher's murder and kidnap and the case is transferred to CBI.

The criticisms against Patnaik and his government were made at BJP's state executive meeting held during the day. The meeting was chaired by state party president Samir Mohanty and attended by Union Minister Bisheswar Tudu, Odisha prabhari (state in-charge) D Purandeswari, saha prabhari (deputy state in-charge) Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, party MLAs and MPs in Odisha and district presidents.

Mohanty raised questions on Patnaik's silence over the Kalahandi teacher's abduction and murder and accused him of shielding Mishra, who is allegedly close to the prime accused in the case.

Claiming that the state's law and order situation has worsened due to political interference in the police, Mohanty said that though four ministers, including Mishra have been accused of being involved in crimes no action is being taken against them.

He referred to the murder of a five-year-old girl in Nayagarh whose main accused is being allegedly shielded by state Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo and to the double murder case in which Odisha Law Minister Pratap Jena has been named in an FIR.

Mohanty claimed that Jena's role in the case has not been investigated by the police.

He also alleged that Parliamentary Affairs minister B K Aruuka is under suspicion for his role in the killing of a forest office in Gajapati district.

“In all these cases the CM has maintained silence,” he alleged.

Claiming that women and girls are unsafe in Odisha as no action has been taken against "mighty and influential persons" who were involved in crimes against them, the BJP leaders claimed that at least four rapes and six kidnappings take place in Odisha every day. Besides, about 27,000 children have gone missing in a span of five years.

The opposition party also came down heavily on the state government over the law and order situation, lack of employment, alleged misutilisation of funds under District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and the missing of Lord Jagannath's Ratna Bhandar (treasury) keys. It also criticised the Patnaik government for allegedly cheating farmers at the state-run mandis during paddy procurement and denial of justice to OBCs and the poor, besides lack of irrigation, diversion of central funds in the name of state schemes and high power tariff in the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)