Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday criticised the Mohan Charan Majhi government for not taking action against governor Raghubar Das’s son who has been accused of beating a government servant, an employee of the Raj Bhavan, in Puri.

Though the incident occurred on July 7, the state government has not yet taken action against the governor’s son.

Raising the issue at the state Assembly on Saturday while speaking on the law and order in the state, Naveen said: “We know as all of us are aware, during the Ratha Yatra period a serving government officer who was on duty was called and was violently attacked by the governor’s son and humiliated.”

He said: “Now I have a question for all of us. If you are the governor’s son, a minister’s son, an MP’s son, an MLA’s son, or a senior officer’s son, is the law different for such a person? Is he immune from any prosecution? If this is the case then the people of Odisha should be informed that certain people are above the law.”

Naveen also maintained that “no one was above the law in my government. Nobody could escape the law. The present chief minister holds the home portfolio, I hope all these will be informed to him, including the case of the recent rape and murder of a minor. All these are serious matters which never occurred during my term. We always followed the law of the land”.

The former chief minister also stressed on maintaining communal peace and harmony at all costs.

Naveen also raised the issue of mismanagement during the Ratha Yatra when the shrine of Lord Balabhadra tumbled on the ground.