Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], April 22 (ANI): Odisha Minister and BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJD, stating that the government in Odisha is committed to zero tolerance for crime.

Speaking to ANI, Odisha Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said, 'When they (BJD) were in Opposition, they did not have answers to several things...We act promptly on things which are happening...If there is a crime, we immediately take action, and the accused is jailed. We are trying to make Odisha a zero crime area and make it crime-free...What the opposition is saying is baseless...'

'The BJP government in Odisha is being questioned, but it's important to remember that just 10 months ago, the opposition was in power. Serious cases occurred during their rule, and they failed to take action. In fact, they tried to protect the accused. Under our government, whenever a crime occurs, we take immediate action. The accused is arrested within 24 to 72 hours, and the police are free to do their job without interference. We're working on faster trials so that criminals are punished quickly and people with a criminal mindset are deterred from committing crimes,' Harichandan further said.

He emphasised that the current government takes swift action against crimes, ensuring accused individuals are arrested within 24 to 72 hours.

He further added, 'We are fully committed to maintaining law and order. Whether the accused is rich, powerful, or a common man, the law will act equally on everyone. We've already seen a drop in major crimes over the past few months, and our goal is to make Odisha a crime-free state. We don't believe in excuses like 'the law will take its own course,' which was the approach of the previous government. We believe in zero tolerance for crime and are acting accordingly.'

He also stated that there has been a recent drop in major crimes and believes the government will make Odisha a crime-free state with a zero-tolerance policy. (ANI)