"Influenced by political pressure": BJD accuses BJP of defaming party following arrest of former Berhampur MLA in Pitabash Panda murder case

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], October 23 : Biju Janata Dal leader Lenin Mohanty on Thursday accused the Odisha government of defaming the party after a former BJD MLA, Bikram Panda, was arrested in the murder case of BJP leader Pitabas Panda yesterday.
Mohanty stated that the arrest is influenced by political pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the government of Mohan Charan Majhi.
"Advocate Pitabas died under mysterious circumstances. The person arrested yesterday, Bikram Panda, is alleged to have been politically motivated and arbitrary, aimed at defaming the Biju Janata Dal. The arrest is being influenced by political pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Mohan Charan Majhi government. In Odisha, this incident is being viewed as part of a trend in which the police are being misused to curb opposition," Lenin Mohanty told ANI.
Pitabash Panda was shot dead by miscreants in Berhampur in Odisha's Ganjam district on October 6, officials said. Three teams were formed to conduct the investigation into the matter.
Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das had slammed the Mohan Charan Majhi-led government in the State, alleging "jungle raj" in the State.
Sharing a media report on X, the Congress leader said that the BJP's failure to protect its own leader exposes the law and order situation in the State.
"Deeply shocked at the assassination of Senior Lawyer and State Bar Council Member Shri Pitabash Panda outside his home in Berhampur. BJP has successfully established Jungle Raaj in Odisha. CM Mohan Majhi's Govt has failed to protect even its own leader, which exposes the shocking law & order collapse in the state," he wrote.