Naveen appeals Maoists to shed violence

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, July 18: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday appealed the Maoists to shed violence and join the mainstream.Making a statement in the State Assembly about top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda’s arrest, Patnaik said Panda was active in the `Maoist Movement’ in the State for more than two decades.Patnaik informed the House that the most wanted Maoist was arrested from Berhampur.The Maoist was involved in numerous sensational cases.The Chief Minister congratulated the police personnel, particularly the intelligence wing and Berhampur police who participated in the operation leading to Panda’s arrest.“The State Government will reward the police personnel for this spectacular achievement,” Patnaik said.Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress, however, told the House that there was nothing to take credit about arresting Sabyasachi Panda.“Instead of arresting the symptom, the government should arrest the disease,” Mishra said.Meanwhile, Panda’s wife Mili Panda told journalists that her husband had returned to mainstream.Claiming that Sabyasachi was not involved in any of the cases that the police were talking about, she expressed hope that Sabyasachi will be discharged in all cases and return to social mainstream to lead a normal life in the future.Instead of killing innocent people, the government should take measures to prevent the growth of Maoists by solving the issues that the Maoists were supporting by ending corruption and exploitation.While stating that she will do everything to provide legal support to Sabyasachi, she also said that she will cooperate with the police.She will meet Sabyasachi either in police custody or jail custody soon, she added.