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A protest march of BJP Yuva Morcha here over the murder of minister Naba Kisore Das and alleged deteriorating law and order situation in Odisha turned violent on Tuesday with the youth wing workers of the saffron party clashing with police, leading to injuries to both sides.
The scuffle broke out at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here when protesters tried to gherao the state assembly, 200 metres away from the protest site, demanding a CBI probe into the minister’s murder.
Police resorted to lathi-charge when the protesters allegedly pelted stones, water bottles and eggs at police. The police also detained a number of agitators.
Bhubaneswar deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Prateek Singh said at least eight to 10 police personnel were injured in the clash, including a DSP rank officer, who sustained serious head injury and is under treatment.
“The protesters damaged a few police vehicles. They brought kerosene to set police vehicles on fire. It seems to be a pre-planned attack,” Singh told reporters, adding that action will be taken against those involved in violent activities.
The BJP workers, however, alleged that the clash broke out after the police started attacking them, including women cadres. Yuva Morcha Odisha wing president Irasis Acharya said their fight is not against the police but against the Naveen Patnaik government.
“The law-and-order situation in Odisha has collapsed. A police officer shot a minister in broad daylight. The Crime Branch has failed to ascertain the motive behind the case even after a month of the incident. There were several other incidents such as the Mahanga double murder case and the kidnap and murder of a minor in Nayagarh district,” said Acharya.
The BJP MLAs also raised the issue in the state Assembly. “Naba Das murder was a planned one. The Crime Branch has failed to conduct a fair probe into the case,”Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra said.
The BJP leader also questioned Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to Mumbai to receive “some award” instead of attending the Assembly session.
To counter the BJP, the ruling BJD MLAs raised the issue of alleged Central neglect to Odisha in allocation of funds under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). Hundreds of BJD workers staged a dharna near Raj Bhavan here and submitted a memorandum to Governor Ganeshi Lal on the issue. BJD Rajya Sabha member Sulata Deo said the BJP-led government at the Centre has adopted a step-motherly attitude towards Odisha in allocation of houses under PMAY-G.
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