Late Swamiji had rivals, says Orissa DGP

Late Swamiji had rivals, says Orissa DGP

BHUBANESWAR: (visakeo)-Deposing before the one-man judicial commission, DGP Manmohan Praharaj on Tuesday admitted that slain VHP leader Swami Laxamanananda Saraswati had rivals. “He had some rivals. Those who had opposed his works were his rivals. But he had not been threatened by Maoists. Police had no information regarding that,” said Praharaj. At the time of the murder of Swamiji, Praharaj was the Director Intelligence.

Reacting on it, Justice Sarat Chandra Mohapatra said the DGP’s statement would give a lead to the entire investigation. “I have to find who were the rivals of Saraswati,” he said.

Earlier also, former Director General of Police (DGP) G C Nanda had stated that slain VHP leader Swami Laxamananda Saraswati, whose killing last year led to a large scale violence in Kandhamal, had incurred the wrath of a minority community since he had been opposing the role of Christian missionaries and alleged conversion.

“I have come across various reports from time to time relating to the staunch pro-Hindu activities of Saraswati,” he had stated before the Commission.

"As a result of this, he had become target of the ire of the rival community since he had been opposing what he perceived as the increasing impact of Christian missionaries and alleged conversion in the area," Nanda said in his affidavit before the commission of inquiry probing into the incident.

However, Nanda, who was then DGP when violence erupted in Kandhamal after killing of Saraswati on August 23, 2008, claimed that he did not have any information regarding specific threat to Saraswati from Maoists.

He had maintained that “I believe that Maoists probably expected to get cooperation of minority community in creating a solid base in the district to expand their activities by killing Saraswati.”