Union Ministers Santosh Gangwar and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti today had a rough going during their visit here as alleged BJD supporters including some MLAs pelted stones and showed black flags to their cavalcade.
Union Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar and Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti faced the wrath of BJD leaders when they arrived in the district to attend BJP's Vikas Parv Rally, marking completion of two years of NDA Government at the Centre, a police official said.
At least nine platoons (around 270 personnel) of police were deployed as part of security measures for the visit of the two ministers and the rally. The protesting BJD supporters showed black flags and demonstrated in front of Gangwar's vehicle, he said.
At least three vehicles, including one carrying Gangwar, were damaged in the incident, the official added.
"The police turned mute spectator when BJD leaders and supporters showed black flags without any hindrance," BJP state general secretary Bhrugu Buxipatra alleged.
Unfazed by the protest, Gangwar reached the venue to attend the rally. Tension erupted when BJP supporters opposed the BJD action. BJD workers also protested near Gandhi Chhak wearing black shirts and holding black flags, Buxipatra said.
The BJD workers, led by Bargarh MLA Debesh Acharya, also took out a bike rally in the town this morning protesting BJP's Vikas Utsav, the countrywide celebration of two years of the Narendra Modi government.
Defending his party workers' actions Acharya said, "We have protested in a democratic manner".
BJD activists also allegedly ransacked a saree show room in the city, where Gangwar was scheduled to hold discussion with some weavers later today, the police official said.
"This is an unfortunate incident. It is responsibility of the state government to provide security to the visiting union ministers. If union ministers are not safe in the state, the state government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should ponder whether common people can live peacefully here," Gangwar said.
Stating that Prime Minister has been placing before
the public, the account of his two years in office, Gangwar said, "Patnaik is afraid that despite 16 years of being in office, he has nothing to claim before the people. Let Patnaik consider how the visiting union ministers are treated in his state."
Condemning the incident, BJP's Odisha said the violent incident showed the feudal mindset of ruling BJD which was directed against tribals, poor and dalits. It pointed out that Gangwar belonged to OBC, while Niranjan Jyoti represented the Dalit sections and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda was a tribal leader.
At a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJP leader Bhrugu Buxipatra blamed Patnaik, also the state home minister, for the incident at Baragarh. He claimed that the BJD workers would not have dared to show such behaviour without Patnaik's consent.
DIG, northern region, Sambalpur Prateek Mohanty and Baragarh district SP Jugal Kishore Kumar Banoth did not to respond to media queries.
