Bhubaneswar: Odisha president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Abhilash Panda was injured in an attack allegedly by BJD workers in Bhadrak district on Thursday.
According to sources, Panda, accompanied by other BJYM members and BJP workers had gone to the district to campaign for the party candidates in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The polling will be held for Bhadrak Lok Sabha seat and Assembly segments under it during the last phase of elections in the state on June 1.
While Panda and 20 local BJP workers were returning from the campaign, a group of 100 BJD workers allegedly attacked them near Khapuria Square under Bansada police limits in the district. The vehicles of Panda and others were also damaged in the attack.
While Panda sustained head injuries, youth activists of the saffron party were also injured in the attack. After BJYM leader filed a complaint at Bansada police station, they were first taken to Dhamra hospital and later to Community Health Centre (CHC) at Basudevpur.
Panda has mentioned the names of the attackers including Karanjamal Sarpanch Ramesh Nayak, ward members Dhusa Mandal and Sankuru Majhi, school teacher Mana Mohanty and local contractor Sudarshan Mallik.
Following the incident, more than 200 BJP workers staged a dharna on Bhadrak-Dhamra road. They demanded immediate action against the BJD workers who had attacked them
The BJD has neither commented on the incident nor issued any statement on the allegation.
