Left parties to stage demonstration over Odisha teacher murder case, seek sacking of minister

BHUBANESWAR: The Left parties of the State joined the Opposition in demanding sacking of Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra for his alleged link with prime accused in the Kalahandi lady teacher murder case.

State secretaries of four Left parties, CPM, CPI, CPML and Forward Block in a joint statement came down heavily on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for not dismissing Mishra from his council of ministers even after clear establishment of his link with accused Gobinda Sahu.

They said that people of the State will lose faith in the law and order machinery if Mishra continues in his ministerial post.

Condemning the brutal murder of the young lady teacher, the four parties have decided to launch a statewide protest on Friday to press for the demand of the minister's ouster and inquiry by a special investigation team under the supervision of the Orissa High Court.

They further demanded that the minister should be brought under the purview of the investigation. State secretaries, Ali Kishore Patnaik of CPM, Ashis Kaungo of CPI, Yudhisthir Mohapatra of CPML and Jyoti Ranjan Mohapatra of Forward Block were signatories to the statement.