BHUBANESWAR: Even though members of the Opposition parties condemned the abduction of the two Italian nationals in the Assembly on Monday, they were not ready to accept two kidnappings in two successive years during the budget session as pure coincidence. An impression has gained ground that the hostage drama is the reflection of the internal rift in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh said criticising the State Government for not initiating any step so far for the release of the Italian nationals. Claiming that the kidnapping took place with the knowledge of the Government, Singh sought to know whether any step has been taken for preventing its recurrence and securing safe release of two hostages. The then Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna was abducted by Maoists in February, 2011 when the budget session was on and the Government was facing the Opposition heat because of the dal scam, Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan said. This time also the abduction has taken in the midst of the budget session, Harichandan said and questioned the State Government’s silence on the agreement it had signed with Maoist interlocutors last year. Why the talks between the Government and their representatives suddenly stopped, he asked. Failure of the talks and non-fulfilment of the 13- point demands are reasons behind the abduction of the Italian nationals, Harichandan said. Referring to a statement of Kandhamal SP that the two Italians were missing since March 14, Harichandan asked why the Government had not taken the Assembly into confidence for the last four days. He wanted to know what the government was doing for the release of the hostages during the last four days when it knew that the kidnapping had taken place. Leader of the BJP legislature party KV Singhdeo alleged that abduction of the then Malkangiri collector had taken place during budget session last year. Is this a design to divert attention from the failures of the state government, he said. Blaming the Government for the breakdown in talks with the Maoist intermediaries, Singhdeo said that the revised surrender policy for the Naxalites should have been discussed with them. The BJP leader wanted to know under what circumstances one of the abducted was staying in Puri for nearly two decades and running a travel agency. Singhdeo demanded that the Government should inform the people about the status of passport and visa of the two Italians, particularly Paolo Bosusco. He also criticised the state government for failing to implement security guidelines prepared after the kidnap of Malkangiri district collector last year. Describing the abduction as an ‘international matter’, Amar Prasad Satpathy (NCP) said the House should make a combined appeal to Maoists to release the Italians.
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