BJD lawmakers tell centre to stop blame game, provide assistance in Italian hostage crisis

New Delhi, Mar 21 (ANI): Showing their support for Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lawmakers on Wednesday told the Centre to stop the blame game and provide all kinds of assistance to the state in resolving the Italian hostage crisis in Odisha.

"The central government should have been cooperative to our CM, our state because it is an inter-border cross terrorism. Everywhere in the border areas it happens. In those hilly ranges, it is very difficult to locate. Therefore, whatever my Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from my state already conveyed truthfully, I am with him. And I appeal to the central government that the request of our honourable Chief Minister must be honoured immediately to save the lives of those two Italians," he said.

BJD lawmaker Jay Panda said: "Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had already said that he is not getting any response from the centre. It took time for him to establish contact with the cabinet ministers when he tried it the fist time. And this is not for the first time. On different issues, there is a perception in Orissa that we don't receive aid or cooperation from the central government".

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had, earlier in the day, rejected Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's charges that the Centre was not helping his state to resolve the Italian hostage crisis.

Patnaik on Tuesday had blamed the Centre for not helping the state in the Italian abduction case.

The Maoists had abducted two Italian citizens, Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo, on Saturday in order to put their demands to the release of top Maoist leaders and end anti-insurgency operation in the region.

Patnaik has, however, said the security forces had already ceased counter-insurgency operations and were ready to talk with the rebels. (ANI)