Odisha Cop Defends ‘Break Their Legs’ Instruction During Cong Protest In Bhubaneswar [Watch]

Bhubaneswar: Security was beefed up at Chief Minister Mohan Majhi’s residence in Bhubaneswar on Sunday in anticipation of protests over the stampede at Saradhabali near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri, which claimed three lives.

Soon enough, Odisha Youth Congress, led by president Ranjit Patra, staged a protest march from AG Square to the CM’s residence, demanding resignation of Majhi and Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan holding them responsible for the gross mismanagement of Puri Rath Yatra, the subsequent stampede, and the resulting deaths and injuries.

After about half an hour of commotion, police detained the protesters and whisked them away from the spot in a van.

Amid all this, a video of Bhubaneswar Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Narasingha Bhol, instructing personnel to “break legs” of protesters breaching barricades, went viral, causing a stir. “If anybody reaches here, break their leg. Don’t catch them, just break their legs. We are standing there [some distance away] to catch them. Whoever breaks a leg, come to me and take a reward,” the cop can be heard in the video.

Bhol, however, later said his words have been taken “out of context.” “….If you see the video, I told the personnel that ‘we are there to arrest them’. Before reaching the spot where I was standing, there were two barricades. The order was to detain unruly protesters at the first barricade itself. However, if somebody breached the two barricades and went beyond them, then that person has already broken the law. He is part of an unlawful assembly,” he told NDTV.

Congress Demands ₹50L Compensation For Stampede Victims

Meanwhile, A Congress delegation, comprising senior leader Prasad Harichandan, Jagannath Patnaik, Santosh Singh Saluja, and Nagendra Pradhan, conducted a detailed inquiry into the Saradhabali stampede incident. They met the families of the victims and later visited the district headquarters hospital to check on the health and treatment of those injured in the incident. “The team was shocked and saddened to learn that two critically injured patients—whose legs were reportedly completely crushed—had been discharged without proper treatment,” a party release said.

They alleged that the government was making all efforts to downplay the incident.

“The state government did not learn a lesson from the incident that occurred during Rath Yatra last year. This is a mismanagement from government… We got the news that three people died today in a stampede, and many of them are injured. Around 3000 people were there today morning, and no one from the police or administration was present there,” said Saluja.

The delegation also visited the District Congress Seva Shibir (service camp) located in front of the Gundicha Temple. The team reiterated its demand for Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia to the families of the deceased and Rs 25 lakh to each of the seriously injured. Holding the government fully responsible for the incident, the team criticised the administration for merely announcing a few symbolic measures while ignoring its moral responsibility.

The Congress team also demanded an inquiry by a sitting district judge and that action be taken based on the investigation’s recommendations within ten days of the Niladri Bije ritual.

The PCC team submitted its report to state Congress president Bhakta Charan Das.

The CM had earlier announced an administrative inquiry under the Development Commissioner and Rs 25 lakh compensation each for the next of kin of the deceased.