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When Dasmunsi turned the tables on Opposition

Special Correspondent

Federal structure in law and order has been upset: BJD
The issue has to be resolved between Centre and State: Dasmunsi

NEW DELHI: It all began with an attempt by the Opposition to nail the Congress’ first family for ignoring the established security drill during Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Orissa, but Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi turned the tables on them in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

‘Unscheduled visits’

For a good half-hour, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Braja Kishore Tripathi sought to impress the House that the federal structure in law and order had been upset when Mr. Gandhi made unscheduled visits to ‘naxalite’ areas of the State without informing the local police.

‘More equal’

While the Congress members did not protest at first, Mr. Tripathi’s statement that some members were more equal than others had the ruling party on its feet. Thereafter, Mr. Tripathi’s submission that he was speaking out of concern for the safety of Mr. Gandhi cut no ice with the Congress members.

During the altercation, Mr. Gandhi entered the House and sat watching the action. His mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi too looked on.

Congress links

Asked by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to respond, Mr. Dasmunsi thanked the BJD members for their concern for the young MP and said it was only natural for them to feel this way. After all, he pointed out, many of the BJD members had Congress links. In particular, he named B. Mahatab whose father Harekrushna Mahatab was a Congress Chief Minister of Orissa and Arjun Charan Sethi who once used to be with the party.

Silenced by the response, the BJD members smiled sheepishly. Stating that the issue raised by the BJD members was one which had to be resolved between the Central and State governments, he asked them to always remain concerned about the welfare of “this young leader.”

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