Bhubaneswar: What does the BJP government want to demonstrate by encouraging anarchy and goonda raj in Odisha?” Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik asked on Monday while condemning the attack on former Dharmasala MLA Pranab Kumar Balabantray’s supporters the previous day.
Fifteen supporters of the former Dharmasala MLA and BJD leader were injured, five of them critically, after they came under attack by a rival group near Panturi under Jenapur police limits of Jajpur district on Sunday.
“I strongly condemn the incident of intruders entering the house of Pranab Balabantaray, the former MLA of Dharmasala and senior leader of the Biju Janata Dal, vandalising it, and carrying out a life-threatening attack on his supporters,” Naveen posted on X.
The BJD president also questioned the alleged police inaction in connection with the incident. “Even though this incident occurred in broad daylight, the fact that the police administration and the government have remained silent spectators and have not taken any action against anyone so far is surprising everyone,” he wrote while demanding stri
ct action against those responsible for the attack.
Naveen further noted that peace-loving people of Odisha will never accept such anarchy and goonda raj.
The BJD alleged that the attackers were supporters of Dharmasala legislator Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo, and staged a protest outside the DGP’s office in Bhubaneswar last evening, demanding immediate arrest of the attackers.
The violent clash
According to sources, a mob of around 50 allegedly stormed the farmhouse near Panturi village, during a meeting of 30 BJD workers, who are supporters of Balabantray, and started attacking them without any provocation, injuring 15 of them. The attackers also vandalised around 15 two-wheelers parked on the farm premises.
On being informed, police arrived at the scene and rushed the injured to Dharmasala Community Health Centre. Five among them were later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Balabantray, who visited the spot to check on the injured workers’, claimed that the attack was politically motivated and a result of long-standing political rivalry. “This is not the first such occurrence; similar attacks have happened following previous Assembly elections in the past,” he stated.
Though the former MLA has filed a police complaint, he expressed distrust in the Jajpur police and added that he would escalate the issue to the Director General of Police (DGP).
While Sahoo’s office has denied the allegation, one of his supporters has filed a counter-complaint, claiming that Balabantray’s supporters attacked him while he was traveling in his car.
Jenapur police confirmed that two separate complaints have been registered and an investigation is underway to verify the claims of both parties.