>MAOISTS ABDUCTED A SITTING BJD MLA IN ODISHA

MAOISTS ABDUCTED A SITTING BJD MLA IN ODISHA 25/03/2012

ODISHA NEWS:

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA, BUREAU CHIEF, THESE DAYS,
BHUBANEWSWAR/ KANDHAMAL




Maoists abducted a legislator of Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) early Saturday, police said.
About 100-150 armed rebels abducted Jhina Hikaka, 37, from a hilly area between Koraput and Laxmipur, about 500 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, police official Suryamani Pradhan told.

The rebels have however left unhurt two other persons – the driver of the vehicle and a body guard who were accompanying the lawmaker. He said further details will be known after the duos are questioned.

The abduction comes at a time when the rebels have held hostage two Italians since past over a week. The government is holding talks with them through their mediators for the Italians’ release.

Citing a leaflet the rebels have left at the vehicle, the police officer said it mentioned about the 13 demands the extremists have set for the release of the Italians and demanded those should be fulfilled at the earliest.

Though 18 hours passed the abducted Laxmipur legislator Jhina Hikoka's where about not known. The Biju Janata Dal legislator was abducted Friday late night by the miscreants. Search operations continuing and almost all the entry points to Koraput sealed by the security personnel's.



Two senior cabinet ministers Surya Narayan Patro, Revenue Minister and Lal Bihari Himirika, SC and ST development Minister rushed to the spot Laxmipur by special helicopter and consoled abducted MLA's wife and assured her to get her husband from the clutches of kidnappers, and it is the massage which we carried given by the Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik.



The CPI Maoist Srikakulam Koraput Divisional committee claimed himself the responsible for abduction of the MLA and urged the Government through Banners and posters demanding for the release of political prisoners, stop operation "Green Hunt", stop police atrocities on innocent people & combing operations, observe 24th Bandh successfully as per the call given by the CPI Maoist party. The banners were on the spot from where they abducted the young BJD MLA Jhina Hikoka.



In the mean time while contacted one of the interlocutors Dandapani Mohanty over phone who had confirmed that the peace talk which was going on for the release of two Italian tourists derailed as expected. Dandapani Mohanty also told both the parties, Government and Maoists are not in a position to accept the decisions taken by the Odisha government and Maoist-named interlocutors. One side the combing operation police is continuing and the other side violence adopted by the Maoist.



The entire Government is now concentrating for the release of abducted legislature Jhina Hokoka and forgotten the abducted Italian tourists. One of the abducted Italian tourist sent a letter requesting to his family members to distribute the property owned by him as his survival seems uncertain. Quite strangely the abduction of foreigners itself is for the first time in Naxal History and the abduction of MLA also for the first time in Odisha history.