Home Minister avoids query over violence in Orissa
Noida (PTI): Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Friday refused to comment on Orissa which has been hit by communal violence prompting demands for imposition of President's rule in the state.
Patil, who was addressing media after a function here, abruptly ended the interaction and went away when asked by reporters what the government was planning to do in Orissa in the wake of the continuing violence.
"At this event, it is not necessary that I take any other question than the purpose for which the conference is bing held," he said.
Patil also did not reply to a question on the demand for banning Sangh Parivar outfits Bajrang Dal and VHP.
During the interaction, he only talked about Amity University and how it is doing well in the areas of Nano-technology and Bio-Technology.
The demands for imposition of President's rule in Orissa and ban on Bajrang Dal and VHP have been made by key UPA allies RJD and LJP with their ministers Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan raising the issue forcefully at a special meeting of the Union Cabinet to discuss the Orissa situation on Wednesday.
The Cabinet was sharply divided over imposition of President's rule in the state as T R Baalu of DMK, A Ramadoss of PMK and Praful Patel of NCP reportedly opposed such a move.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is believed to have decided to send a ministerial team to Orissa for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation there.
