BJP today accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of being responsible for "murderous attacks" on its workers at Boudh and Angul and said BJD activists could not have unleashed terror on its demonstrators protesting in a democratic way without his approval and police help.
"It is amply clear that ruling BJD has chalked out plans to attack and unleash terror on political opponents with the consent of the chief minister," BJP Odisha unit vice-president Samir Mohanty alleged at a press meet here.
A fact-finding team of BJP had yesterday visited Manaamunda in Boudh district where BJP workers were thrashed allegedly by ruling BJD activists during a visit of ministers Sanjay Dasburma and Pushpendra Singhdeo on Friday.
Mohanty said the the "hooliganism and murderous attack" on BJP workers, who, he said, were staging peaceful demonstration was led by a BJD MLA and a corporator.
"It was a blatant display of arrogance by BJD which is ruling the state for the fourth time in a row and enjoys brute majority in the assembly.
"The whole world was witness to the manner in which a tribal youth was pinned down and mercilessly and brutally beaten up by those accompanying the ministers on July 29 in Boudh as it took place before TV cameras. It was nothing but an attempt to kill him," Mohanty claimed.
Hitting out at the chief minister, the BJP leaders said though FIR along with evidence had been furnished, no action has yet been taken in the case and the culprits are being shielded.
The chief minister is in-charge of home department and police will not take action against the concerned MLA and corporator, he said.
There was similar attack by BJD workers on BJP demonstrators, including women, in Angul yesterday as part of the conspiracy hatched at the instance of Naveen Patnaik, Mohanty claimed.
These attacks were organised barely a month after Union Minister Santosh Gangwar's convoy was attacked by BJD activists in Bargarh, he said.
Describing these incidents as signals of political change in the state, the BJP leaders said the party would continue to fight for the interest of the people.
