Angul, Odisha: The killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati has returned to the centre of Odisha politics after a court acquitted Maoist leader Azad in the case, prompting Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to promise that his government would uncover the truth and ensure justice.

At a birth centenary event held in Gurujanga, Angul district, Majhi said his government would not stop until the circumstances behind the seer's death were fully exposed. His remarks have given fresh momentum to a case that has remained politically sensitive for years.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) quickly pushed back, accusing the Chief Minister of making “baseless allegations” in connection with the murder case. The dispute has sharpened the political fight between the ruling BJP and the opposition in Odisha.

The Saraswati killing, which took place in 2008, had already triggered major unrest in Kandhamal and has long remained a flashpoint in Odisha politics. Earlier reports noted that the BJP had pressed for a CBI probe into the case, arguing that key questions remained unanswered even years later.

The latest row shows that the case continues to shape political messaging in the state, especially as the acquittal of one accused has revived demands for a fuller account of what happened in 2008 and who should be held responsible.