Bhubaneswar: Multiple incidents of violence were on Thursday reported from several parts of Odisha. In most of the cases, BJD workers were accused of attacking BJP leaders and members.
A youth said to be a supporter of BJP was allegedly beaten to death at Kadalijhola village under Sorada police station limits of Ganjam district following which BJP supporters blocked the road in protest.
In another incident, the mutilated body of a person, said to be a BJP worker, was found in Agajhola village in Ganjam district. The body was shifted to Bhanjanagar hospital while locals alleged that he has been murdered.
In Kendrapara, three members of a family were attacked with sharp weapons allegedly by Barimula panchayat sarpanch and BJD workers for attending a rally organised by BJP. All the injured were admitted to Kendrapara district headquarters hospital.
On Wednesday night, crude bombs were reportedly hurled at BJP party ward office near Delta Colony in Unit-VIII area of Bhubaneswar. However, the bombs failed to go off. Police defused the bombs.
Earlier in the day, in Mangala slum area of Niladri Vihar in Bhubaneswar, BJD workers allegedly attacked BJP members while they were campaigning for Bhubaneswar-North candidate Aparajita Mohanty.
As many as nine BJP workers, including party’s Bhubaneswar district general secretary Sushant Sabat and Chandrasekharpur Mandal leader Manasi Manjari Ray Padhi sustained critical injuries in the attack.
Subsequently, a complaint was lodged by the BJP at Chandrasekharpur police station alleging that they were attacked by the ‘ruling-BJD goons’.
Political violence was also seen in Bargarh district ahead of the second phase polls. BJP’s Bijepur Assembly candidate Sanath Gartyia was attacked on Wednesday night. Gartyia, who has been fielded by the saffron party against Odisha CM and BJD president Naveen Patnaik from the constituency, had reportedly gone to visit some of his supporters when the incident occurred. Stones were reportedly hurled at Gartiya’s car at Kandhara village in Bijepur when he was inside the vehicle. However, Gartia and his associates are safe, said sources.
Similarly, in Bargarh’s Bhatli area, brother of state minister Sushant Singh, Subrat Singh and his supporters allegedly attacked some BJP leaders and workers regarding which a complaint was lodged at police station. In the attack, former vice-chairman and former Sarpanch of Bhatli block suffered injuries.
Late on Sunday night, BJP’s Khurda mandal president Manguli Jena was shot dead by an unidentified miscreant in the town.
Later, a BJP delegation met Odisha DG-in-charge BK Sharma demanding action against minister Sushant Singh, his brother Subrat and the one who attacked Gartyia.
A team of BJP on Thursday met the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) demanding complete stop on such incidents.
