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BJP hails MLA accused of Kandhmal
killings
WSN Network
BHUBANESWAR: In a
country where human rights activist like Binayak Sen had to spend
two years behind bars and was denied bail on specious grounds, the
courts have set free BJP leader Manoj Pradhan, one of the accused in
the Kandhmal riots against Christians, on interim bail for two
weeks, and the Orissa BJP leaders hailed him as a hero.
Pradhan, who faces
14 cases, including murder, arson, rioting and spreading communal
hatred, took oath as an MLA on Monday. He fought the elections from
jail and won the G Udayagiri seat with a margin of nearly 24,000
votes as result of a completely communal situation that he succeeded
in creating.
His release comes
at a time when New Delhi is pulling out paramilitary forces from the
riot-hit region and the Navin Patnaik government in Orissa is
apprehensive that the development may anger tribals.
Pradhan went from
Phulbani jail to Chakapada ashram to pay homage to Swami
Laxmanananda Saraswati whose murder had sparked the communal
violence in Kandhmal before leaving for Bhubaneswar, where he was
accorded a hero's welcome.
He is one of just
six BJP MLAs in the 147-member House. The BJP organized a gala
felicitation for Pradhan.
8
July 2009
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