Ashram chief in Odisha gets threat calls

We demand strong security for the ashramand its inmates, said VHP state vice-president Pandit MaheshSahu.

The chief of a Kanya ashram inOdisha's Kandhamal district founded by VHP leader SwamiLaxmanananda Saraswati has received threat calls prompting thepolice to tighten the security in the ashram, an officer saidon Sunday.

The chief of Gurukul Sanskrit Kanya ashram atJalespatta, Swami Jivanmuktananda Puri has lodged a formalcomplaint at Timudibandha Police Station, about 125 km fromthe district headquarters Phulbani town, seeking securityafter receiving two threat calls in the last 24-hours.

While the first threat call was received on Saturdayevening, the next one came on Sunday morning from the sametelephone number. The police have tightened security in theashram by deploying armed forces keeping in view of thesensitivity of the case, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO),Baliguda, Manoj Pujari told PTI.

Immediately after getting the complaint, inspector-in-charge of Timudibandha Police Station, Babashankar Sarafvisited the ashram and made security arrangements. A bombsquad is now engaged in checking the places inside the ashramas the caller had also threatened to blow up the entireestablishment, he said.

The Kanya ashram has presently about 90 girl inmates,most of them being orphans or single parent children belongingto tribal families.

Worried over the safety of the girl inmates,volunteers and self, Swami Jivanmuktananda Puri demanded afull proof security arrangement in and around the ashram inthe backdrop of large scale communal violence following thekilling of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and his four followersat Jalespata Ashram on August 23, 2006.

At least 38 people were killed during the communalriot which continued for about two month in Kandhamaldistrict.

The naxals had a hand in the killing of SwamiLaxmanananda Saraswati and police this time also suspect thatthe anonymous caller might be from the same outlawed outfitwith intent to create social disharmony in Odisha.

Special Public Prosecutor Bijay K Patnaik, who wasappointed to oversee the Kandhamal riot cases in 2008, said:''As many as 500 people were convicted in the 79 riot cases.

More than 25,000 people were then lodged in relief camps astheir houses were burnt down during the riot.'' Meanwhile, the Odisha unit of BJP on Sunday rushed aseven member team including two MLAs, Mukesh Mahalinga andKusum Tete, to Jalespata Ashram to take stock of thesituation.

The VHP Odisha unit at a press conference came downheavily on the Odisha government and accused it of not takingaction against the main culprits involved in SwamiLaxmanananda Saraswati's killing in 2008.

''The killers of Laxmanananda Sawaraswati are roamingfree since 2008 and therefore, they got encouraged to issuesuch threat calls. We demand strong security for the ashramand its inmates,'' said VHP state vice-president Pandit MaheshSahu.