BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee working president and former Lok Sabha member Pradeep Majhi on Thursday said, if situation so demands, he was ready to shun his party’s avowed policy of Gandhian non-violence and take up arms like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to get justice for the local people.
Mr Majhi’s statement came when journalists confronted him with a video clip in which he is seen asking his supporters to keep petrol and diesel ready to set ablaze vehicles and other assets during the 12-hour Nabarangpur district bandh call.
The Congress had given a bandh call protesting alleged neglect by the police to arrest culprits involved in rape and murder of 16-year-old minor girl on December 14 at Kosagumuda in Nabarangpur district.
“Petrol ebam diesel ready kari rakhi thaa-a. Direction milile jaali deba (keep petrol and diesel ready. Set the target on fire as soon as you get directions from me),” the ex-lawmaker is seen saying this to his supporters on telephone.
Soon after the lawmaker’s call, a car parked in Nabarangpur town was seen burning.
The BJD alleged that Mr Majhi’s supporters set the car ablaze, a charge which Mr Majhi strongly denied.
“The burning of the car is handiwork of some miscreants who want to defame us. However, I want to make it clear that in order to get justice for our people I will not hesitate to take up arms and break the law,” said Mr Majhi.
Ramesh Majhi, the BJD MP from Nabarangpur, criticised inflammatory remark of Pradeep Majhi.
“His remark is no less dangerous than that of an extremist who wants to create lawlessness in the country. He is a senior Congress leader and former lawmaker. And, hence, he should refrain from such inflammatory speech,” said the BJD member.
