BJP Workers Scuffle With Police In Odisha Capital During Bid To Gherao Naveen Niwas

Bhubaneswar: BJP members scuffled with police while proceeding to gherao Naveen Niwas, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s residence, on Monday accusing his government of shielding ruling BJD leaders in Archana Nag’s honeytrap racket and a Zilla Parishad member’s death case.

The saffron party was making a bid to gherao Naveen Niwas to demand quick probe and action against BJD leaders allegedly involved in the sensational lady blackmailer scandal and death of Nimapara Zilla Parishad member Dharmendra Sahoo.

A large number of BJP leaders and workers took out a march from the state party headquarters carrying placards and banners and proceeded towards Naveen’s residence raising slogans to press their demand.

Taking part in the protest, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, state general secretaries Prithviraj Harichandan and Lekhashree Samantsinghar and senior leader Prabhati Parida slammed the BJD government accusing it of shielding high-profile party leaders allegedly involved in both the cases.

The saffron leaders alleged that School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash was involved in the death of the Zilla Parishad member, while many BJD leaders including Ministers and MLAs had links with the lady blackmailer case.

Alleging police inaction in both the cases due to pressure to protect the ruling party leaders, they said BJP has been demanding CBI probe into both the scandals and their stir was aimed at stepping up their demand.

However, the demonstrators had to encounter police barricades on the way. As they tried to break the barricades in their bid to proceed towards Naveen Niwas, the protesters were stopped by the police and a scuffle broke out.

A large number of BJP workers and leaders were detained as a preventive measure. Police personnel were deployed in strength to prevent the saffron activists from proceeding further and avoid any untoward incident.

Samantsinghar alleged that despite being aware of everything about the lady blackmailer case, the Chief Minister is silent as several BJD leaders are involved in the scandal. BJP wants the Chief Minister to give a statement on the scandal in the public, she said.