Political News: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Nov 6: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) launched a fierce attack on Odisha’s BJP government following the tragic deaths of two women in the mango kernel incident in Kandhamal district. On Wednesday, BJD spokesperson Lekhashri Samantasinghar demanded the resignation and arrest of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra over the tragedy.
At a press conference in Bhubaneswar, Samantasinghar alleged that eight families in Kandhamal’s Daringbadi area were forced to consume gruel made from mango kernels after they were denied Public Distribution System (PDS) rice. The result was severe food poisoning, with eight individuals falling ill. Two women died, and two others remain in critical condition in the hospital, she said.
Samantasinghar criticized the incident, calling it a shame for the state, especially in 2024. She stated that such deaths from starvation should not occur in a state governed by a BJP-led “double-engine” government, accusing the ruling party of breaking promises made during the last elections.
She also emphasized that starvation had been largely eradicated during the previous BJD government, and that failing to provide PDS rice was a clear case of criminal negligence. Samantasinghar pointed out that the state’s Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, is from a tribal community, as is Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, and President Droupadi Murmu, further highlighting the gravity of the incident.
