Hikaka meets CM, says quit issue didnt figure

BHUBANESWAR: Four days after his release from the Maoist captivity, Laxmipur MLA Jhina Hikaka on Monday met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Nivas here. Hikaka was accompanied by his wife Kaushalya Majhi and two sons.The meeting has assumed significance because of the speculation regarding Hikaka’s resignation from the Assembly and his snapping of all ties with the BJD because of pressure from the Maoists. However, Hikaka has not cleared the air on the issue so far.After his 30-minute meeting with Naveen, Hikaka remained tight-lipped over the issue. The MLA even said the issue of resignation did not crop up during the meeting. Hikaka said he met the Chief Minister after a long time and he advised to relax.“It was a tremendous relief for all of us to see Hikaka,” Naveen said and added that he should now take it easy and relax. Naveen had earlier disapproved of the possibility of Hikaka’s resignation. He questioned why should the MLA, belonging to his party, resign and said he was looking forward to meet him.“Why should anyone, who has been elected democratically, resign under pressure? I do not believe in that at all,” Naveen told mediapersons to a question whether Hikaka should resign as demanded by the Maoists. “I have spoken to Hikaka after his release. I am looking forward to see him,” he said.The Maoists had, however, served a ‘quit’ order on Hikaka and said after his release that he would be under observation. The MLA, who was produced before a praja court by the Maoists on April 24 before his release, had reportedly given an undertaking to resign from the Assembly and sever all ties with the BJD.The Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the CPI (Maoist), which had kidnapped the MLA, had given Hikaka 15 days to resign. On Sunday, the MLA had said the Maoists were likely to release a new audio tape which would make everything clear.However, senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra had stated that resignation under duress should not be taken into consideration.Other senior leaders of the party and the MLAs of other political parties had also echoed the same view.