The Hindu : National : Fissures in BJP-BJD alliance over Kandhamal

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Fissures in BJP-BJD alliance over Kandhamal

Special Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR: Cracks appeared in the ruling Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in Orissa over the Kandhamal issue with the BJP boycotting the BJD-BJP joint legislature party meeting on Tuesday.

The BJP legislators did not refrain from attending the joint legislature party meet as their party was not happy with the measures taken by the State government to deal with the Kandhamal situation.

Industry Minister and Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Biswabhushan Harichandan told presspersons that their legislators did not attend the joint meeting because the government had failed to arrest the killers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati. Only three persons have been arrested for their involvement in the killing of the swami so far, but the remaining accused were still at large, Mr. Harichandan said. The BJP was also not happy with the manner in which the government was dealing with the issue of conversion in Kandhamal district, he added.

Strategy preparation

The joint legislature party had to meet to prepare the strategy to deal with the issues that would be raised by the Opposition parties in the winter session of the Assembly, scheduled to start on Wednesday.

The Kandhamal issue had rocked the Assembly in the last week of August with the BJP members demanding immediate arrest of the killers of the swami.

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