BJP Suspends Five Members After Attack On BMC Official In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: In swift disciplinary action following the assault on a senior official at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday suspended five of its members, including a local corporator.

State BJP president Manmohan Samal confirmed the suspensions, citing “internal misconduct” and violation of party discipline.

Sources said the five individuals were suspended from the party’s primary membership in connection with Monday’s attack on BMC Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo during a public hearing. Among those suspended is corporator Aparupa Narayan Rout, also known as Jiban Rout — a prominent figure in local politics.

The other suspended members are Rashmi Ranjan Mahapatra (corporator), Debashis Pradhan, Sachikant Swain, and Sanjeeb Mishra. All five have been relieved of their party responsibilities pending further investigation.

The decision follows a preliminary internal review and reflects the party’s ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to indiscipline and public misconduct. BJP insiders indicated that a more detailed inquiry will follow in the coming days.

Neither the party leadership nor the suspended members have issued public statements on the matter so far.

The incident sparked tension at the BMC office and prompted heavy police deployment to maintain order. According to eyewitnesses, the accused assaulted Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo during the public interaction, leading to widespread outrage and condemnation.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) sharply criticised the attack and threatened statewide protests if the “key conspirator” was not apprehended. On Monday, BJD president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik alleged that a senior BJP leader — who unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Assembly elections — orchestrated the assault. Though he did not name anyone, the remarks were widely interpreted as a veiled reference to Jagannath Pradhan, the BJP candidate from Bhubaneswar Central.

Meanwhile, Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officers across 11 districts went on mass leave in protest against the attack, demanding swift justice and greater protection for civil servants.

In a related development, police arrested another accused in the case — Sanjeeb Mishra — bringing the total number of arrests to four. Earlier, Jiban Rout, Rashmi Ranjan Mahapatra, and Debashis Pradhan were taken into custody.