Orissa minister quits over church attacks

State Steel and Mines Minister Padmanabha Behera, a Dalit hailing from the violence–hit Kandhamal district, resigned from his post on moral grounds in the wake of the communal violence for the fifth day on Friday.

"I decided to step down from the minister's post owning full moral responsibility for the violence and disruption of communal harmony in my district," he told reporters.

"In the last few days, misinformation and misleading statements in my district were spread through media. In order to remove this public misconception and to restore age–old harmony between Scheduled Castes and Tribes in my district, I decided to tender my resignation," he said.

Meantime, district collector of Kandhamal Bhabagrahi Mohapatra was reported as being suspended by the government. The state government has appointed a new sub–collector for the Baliguda block that was severely hit by the communal flare–up.

As part of its damage–control measures, the state government also ordered a judicial probe into the violence.

This week, a delegation of Christians met with and received assurances from the head of the National Commission for Minorities, Mohamed Shafi Qureshi, that Christians will be protected in Orissa. He said he plans to visit the state and render justice to the Christian community.