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Press Statement By New Delhi - August 24, 2008 I am shocked to know that Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, a revered Hindu religious leader working for the welfare of tribals in Orissa, and four others, including a woman sanyasin, were killed last night at a village in Kandmahal district. I share the outrage of the people of Orissa over this dastardly crime. Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was a selfless Hindu seer who had been working for the uplift of the underprivileged in the undivided Phulbani district for over four decades. He had survived more than a dozen unsuccessful bids on his life in the past two decades. The fact that he was assassinated on the auspicious day of Janmashtami, when he was participating in the Janmashtami celebrations in a residential school, reveals an ominous motive behind the crime, suspected to have been committed by Maoists. I strongly condemn this evil deed. I hope that the State Government will conduct a speedy investigation, identify the perpetrators of this crime and punish the guilty. |
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