Union Education Minister and BJP leader, Dharmendra Pradhan, criticised the Odisha government's law and order situation after a 15-year-old boy was murdered for ransom. Pradhan's comments were made in light of the upcoming by-polls in Jharsuguda. The ruling party, BJD, slammed Pradhan for his comments, stating the peace-loving people of the state should not be insulted. The opposition BJP and Congress have criticised the Odisha government in the assembly for failing to find the motive behind the murder of a minister in January. The BJD claims that BJP-ruled states have more violent crime cases than Odisha.
