Amid nationwide outrage over a tribal man carrying his wife's body on shoulder for 10 km in Kalahandi, the opposition today sharpened attack on the Odisha government as Congress launched a 'Padyatra' and a BJP fact-finding team visited the district.
Slamming the BJD government for negligence in providing a hearse for transporting Dana Majhi's wife Amang Dei's body from the district headquarter hospital at Bhawanipatna to his village on Wednesday, Congress and BJP leaders made a beeline to the district and alleged collapse of health services.
Dubbing the Naveen Patnaik government as "anti-tribal", Congress workers took out a 'Padyatra' from Melghar, Dana Majhi's village, to Bhawanipatna.
The 60-km rally, led by senior leader and former Union minister Bhakta Charan Das, is scheduled to reach Bhawanipatna tomorrow after a non-stop march. Congress activists have also planned to gherao the District Collector's office tomorrow, party leaders said.
The rally was launched a day after a six-member fact-finding team of the party visited Majhi's village. They met Majhi and his 12-year-old daughter, besides other villagers.
Terming the incident as "inhuman", Das who hails from Kalahandi, said, "It has exposed the anti-tribal attitude of the BJD government."
Not happy with the probe conducted into the incident, Congress leaders demanded a high-level inquiry into the whole episode and compensation of Rs 10 lakh for Majhi's family.
An eight-member BJP fact-finding team headed by MLA Rabi Nayak visited also Melghara village and spoke to Majhi.
A detailed report will be prepared and submitted to the state BJP president, the party's state vice president Sameer Mohanty said.
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