The death anniversary of a VHP leader in Odisha's Kandhamal district was peaceful.

It was a peaceful day in Phulbani as the 17th death anniversary of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was observed in Odisha's Kandhamal district. The authorities made sure to tighten security arrangements for the occasion, ensuring the safety of all those present. The district was closely monitored as the tragic assassination of Saraswati on August 23, 2008 had resulted in violent unrest that claimed the lives of 38 individuals.

According to the Hindu calendar, Saraswati's death anniversary is observed at his ashrams in Chakapada and Jalespeta. Swami Jeevan Muktananda Puri, the head of the Jalespeta ashram, confirmed this. It was during the celebration of Janmashtami at the Jalespeta ashram that the monk and four of his associates were brutally killed by gunshots. To prevent any such incidents from happening again, Kandhamal SP Harish BC ensured maximum security measures were taken throughout the district.

Apart from the two ashrams, armed police forces were also stationed at vulnerable points. However, there have been no reports of any untoward incidents so far. Despite claims that Maoists were responsible for the killings, the VHP has continued to demand the arrest of the mastermind behind the massacre. In response to this, Kandhamal MP Sukant Panigrahi stated that the state government is fully committed to bringing all the culprits to justice.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties, Biju Janata Dal and Congress, criticized the BJP government for not making the report of the commission public. This commission was set up to investigate the killing of the VHP leader and the subsequent riots in 2008. Last year, when the BJP came to power, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan had promised to make the report public. However, this has not been done yet, despite the commission's findings being submitted to the home secretary in December 2015.

The commission, headed by Justice Sarat Chandra Mohapatra, was unable to complete its inquiry as he passed away in 2012. Subsequently, Justice A S Naidu was appointed to head the panel, and the report was submitted in two volumes. However, it has not been made public by either the previous BJD government or the current BJP government. This has led to criticism from various parties, who are demanding transparency and accountability in the matter.

[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]