Banta block Presidents arrest a vendetta: Oram

BHUBANESWAR: President of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s State unit Jual Oram on Sunday condemned the action of the State Government for booking party’s Banta block president Hara Prasad Behera under the National Security Act (NSA). Alleging that the authorities arrested Behera under NSA on flimsy grounds with political vendetta in mind, Oram said the former had an argument with the local block development officer over some developmental works. Oram further alleged that the BDO had filed an FIR against Behera under pressure from the ruling BJD. Eight station diaries were made out against him within eight days and in each of the station diaries he was described as an anti-social and false charges like extortion and creating communal tensions were levelled against him. The chargesheet against him has nine  criminal cases against him. The fact remains that three cases have already been disposed of by the courts and other three cases are purely relating to offences involving political agitation. The BJP strongly condemns this act of vendetta before the panchayat elections. Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pani too has written to the Union Home Minister in this matter of high-handedness of the State Government. The BJP demands his immediate release.