2021 bomb attack continues to haunt Odisha CM Mohan Majhi
‘Previous BJD government tried to eliminate me,’ alleges Chief Minister
By Mahendra Darjee
Bhubaneswar, Nov. 25: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has once again raised allegations about a bomb attack on his life during the tenure of the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government led by Naveen Patnaik.
During a visit to Sundargarh district on Sunday for the release of the third installment under the first phase of the Subhadra Yojana financial assistance programme, Majhi stated, “The previous BJD government tried to eliminate me by hurling bombs.”
The attack Majhi referred to took place on October 11, 2021, when he was the Opposition Chief Whip in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Two bike-borne assailants hurled country-made bombs at his car near Mandua in Keonjhar district. Majhi, returning from a labor union meeting around 1 pm, narrowly escaped as the front panel of his vehicle was partially damaged. Fortunately, both he and his driver remained unharmed.
Criticising the former administration, Majhi remarked, “The BJD government tried to kill me because I stood against them, both inside and outside the Assembly. By God’s grace, I survived their plan to eliminate me. It is perhaps divine will that I am now in the position of Chief Minister, entrusted with the responsibility of driving Odisha’s development.”
He also accused the BJD of exploiting Sundargarh district under the pretext of development, claiming that the party siphoned off funds meant for the district mineral fund.
Majhi had previously voiced similar allegations. In June, while addressing a public gathering in Jhumpura, his home district of Keonjhar, he alleged that the BJD had plotted his assassination, saying, “There was an attempt to kill me in a bomb blast in Keonjhar’s Mandua. However, I was saved by God’s blessings and the love of the people. With Maa Tarini, Maa Durga, Lord Baladev, and Lord Jagannath by my side, I have nothing to fear.”
Despite the seriousness of these allegations, the BJD has not issued any response to the Chief Minister’s claims.
