Bhubaneswar, Nov 30 (PTI) Fissure has surfaced in the nine-member Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Odisha as two of them disagreed on the leadership's decision to withdraw the demand for resignation of Agriculture Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo in the kidnap and murder case of a five-year-old girl, Pari, in Nayagarh district.

Pari had gone missing on July 14 and her skeletal remains were found in the backyard of her house on July 23. Her organs had allegedly been removed. The matter came to light when her parents tried to immolate themselves in front of the Assembly on November 24.

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The division of opinions in the CLP came to the fore a day after the winter session of the Assembly ended.

Though the Congress had raised the issue in the Assembly and demanded a court monitored special investigation team (SIT) and resignation of the agriculture minister, the party later changed its stand.

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The Congress had initially demanded resignation of the minister as he was allegedly shielding the main accused in the little girl's kidnap and murder case. However, the CLP later changed the stand after the state government constituted a high court-monitored SIT. The party expressed satisfaction over the constitution of the SIT as per its demand. "There is no point in demanding the minister's resignation as the incident will be probed by a HC-monitored SIT. The minister cannot influence the court monitored investigation. We should have faith in the judiciary," CLP leader Narasingha Mishra said.

Senior Congress MLAs Suresh Routray and S S Saluja have expressed their displeasure over the CLP's change of stand, particularly the one concerning the demand of the minister's resignation.

Routray said that Mishra has asked the Congress MLAs to drop the demand on the minister's resignation after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a court-monitored SIT probe.

"Earlier, the Odisha PCC president Niranjan Patnaik had asked the party members to launch a state-wide agitation demanding the minister's resignation. Then we were asked to withdraw it. I am not satisfied with the SIT probe ordered by the chief minister," he said.

Routray said, "We suspect that it (the change in Congress' stand) has been anaged."

Saluja said the Congress MLAs remained silent on the minister's resignation demand at the instructions of the CLP leader. "Though I am not satisfied with the decision, we have to abide by his order. The matter will be brought to the notice of the party high command," he said.

He said the CLP's change of stand has helped the BJP gain political mileage as the saffron party continued its protests and demanded a CBI probe into the incident and dismissal of the minister, forcing the state government to adjourn the House sine die 30 days ahead of its schedule.

Mishra, on the other hand, contended that the constitution of a court monitored SIT probe on the Congress' demand is a "historic success" for the party. "It is for the first time that the state government has conceded the demand for such a probe into the incident".

The CLP leader said that he took the decision to drop the minister's resignation after consulting the party leaders.

BJP national spokesman Sambit Patra criticised the Congress for "supporting" the minister.

The police have not yet arrested any person in connection with the crime because of the minister's influence, he claimed.

"I ask Rahul Gandhi why has he remained silent on this sensitive issue in Odisha when he lost no time to visit Hathras (in Uttar Pradesh) to show his compassion to the family of a Dalit girl who was raped and murdered," he added.

Meanwhile, a BJP delegation headed by the Leader of Opposition P K Naik visited Nayagarh district and met the family members of the dead girl.

"The girl's parents are in a state of panic. They fear danger to their lives and should be provided with adequate security. They were beaten up by goons both at their house and in the hospital," Naik said.

The girl's mother Soudamini Sahu, who along with her husband Ashok Sahu attempted self-immolation in front of the Assembly on November 24, had demanded a CBI probe into the kidnap and killing of their daughter.

Patra has also moved the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) urging it to ensure a separate probe into the alleged incident as organ trafficking is suspected to be one of the factors behind the killing of the girl.

(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)