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Pressure gets to Patnaik

Bibhuti Mishra in Bhubaneshwar

J B Patnaik, the beleaguered chief minister of Orissa, has finally resigned.

Patnaik had airdashed to New Delhi yesterday after the Congress high command called him. He returned and at the airport itself informed the press that he had tendered his resignation.

Patnaik was quick to clarify that he has not resigned on 'moral grounds'.

"There is nothing to own moral responsibility for. I have offered to quit because of various other reasons. Although he did not elaborate on these reasons Patnaik's troubles had started on 10 January after the gang-rape of Anjana Mishra who demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry, alleging the chief minister had a hand in the incident.

Then, on January 22, a Christian missionary, Graham Stewart Staines, was burnt alive at Manoharpur along with his two young sons. But the rape of a Catholic nun near Baripada on February 3 and the murder of a Christian girl and her brother in Phulbani two days ago dashed any claim he had to control over the law and order situation in the state.

To make things worse for him, Patnaik was seen as failing to protect the minorities, at a time that the Congress, under Sonia Gandhi, was trying to project the image of being for the minorities. Before going to Delhi yesterday the chief minister had dismissed as idle talk allegations that the recent rapes and murders of Christians pointed at a collapse of law and order.

"These are isolated criminal activities that will face stringent punitive action, "he had said. But last night, after meeting Sonia Gandhi and Madhavrao Scindia, he offered to quit. He has immediately left for Nawrangpur to attend the panchayati raj chairman's conference since he is the chief minister till his resignation is accepted.

PCC chief Hemananda Biswal told the press that the Congress high command's decision was awaited. But sources close to Biswal said the high command was likely to accept the resignation. In that case, Biswal is tipped to be the next chief minister.

Biswal who was the deputy chief minister before taking over as PCC chief, is a former chief minister and leader of the Dalits of western Orissa.

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