Bhubaneswar: Two persons were arrested in connection with the alleged attack at the residence of senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former Minister Pratap Jena in Bhubaneswar.
The accused were identified as Siddharth Swain and Devi Prasad Lenka. Both have reportedly been forwarded to court.
Sources said the two arrested youths were student leaders of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), who were suspended from the party on Friday over anti-party activities.
The action came after Pratap Jena lodged a complaint at Capital Police Station following the late-night ruckus in front of his residence. Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJD president Naveen Patnaik condemned the incident, describing it as a direct assault on democracy.
He alleged that those who used money power to influence the recent Rajya Sabha elections, orchestrated the violence through hired miscreants. He said the incident was not isolated but reflects a broader collapse of governance and law enforcement.
Police sources said the two created a disturbance outside Jena’s quarters, prompting immediate intervention.
Police have deployed adequate force outside the residence of Jena following the incident in an effort to prevent further escalation.
