With former Odisha law minister Raghunath Mohanty evading arrest for the last 10 days after resigning over dowry torture charges, the Congress and BJP today demanded arrest of the senior BJD leader's and accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of shielding him.
While senior Congress MLA S S Saluja raised the issue in the Assembly seeking a statement from the chief minister on the whereabouts of Mohanty, BJP's women wing and student wing of Congress staged separate demonstrations near Patnaik's residence demanding arrest of Mohanty.
"Mohanty is not attending Assembly since he resigned from the ministry. Where is Mohanty? Is he kidnapped by Maoists like abduction of a BJD MLA last year? His anticipatory bail petitiion has been rejected," Saluja said demanding a statement from chief minister on the issue.
The women activists,separately had tussle with security personnel while trying to barge into Naveen Niwas. Both the groups were demanding arrest of Mohanty, who has been accused of torturing his daughter-in-law Barsa Swony Choudhury for dowry.
Though Mohanty resigned immediately, he has been given protection by chief minister, BJP Mahila Morcha president Surama Padhi alleged while leading a demonstration.
The slogan-shouting women activists of the saffron party broke prohibitory orders under Section-144 and marched towards Naveen Niwas. Police arrested some party workers.
Hours after BJP activists were chased away, student Congress activists also staged a demonstration leading to a clash with police.
The student activists also demanded resignation of higher education minister Badrinarayan Patra over repeated question paper leak of Plus II annual examination.
Accusing police of attacking student activists, state Congress President Niranjan Patnaik said the party would launch a state-wide agitation against police "highhandedness".
A report from Balasore said a local court today again rejected a bail petition of Mohanty's son Raja Shree who was arrested and jailed in the dowry torture case.
Raja Shree's bail petition had earlier been rejected twice by the court. In his latest bid to get respite, Raja Shree had urged the court to grant him bail on health ground.
