[Watch] Odisha Bypoll: BJD Moves CEO Seeking Action Against Dharmendra For Asking Scribe To Hit Minister

Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJD on Thursday moved Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) demanding action against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accusing him of asking a woman TV journalist to beat Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain during Padampur bypoll campaign.

A delegation of BJD visited CEO’s office and submitted a petition claiming that the party has come across a video from social media wherein Dharmendra is seen encouraging someone to hit ‘Raja Swain” during his campaign in Padampur on November 29.

The Union Minister was obviously referring to Odisha’s Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, who is also popularly known by his nickname as ‘Raja Swain’, the BJD petition said.

Noting that Swain is now campaigning for the BJD candidate in Padampur, it said there were some people near him that time and informed that the Union Minister told this to someone who appears to be a reporter with a TV channel.

Stating that a copy of the video in a pen drive has been enclosed along with the petition, the BJD team, including MP Sasmit Patra and party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty, demanded suitable action against  Dharmendra for encouraging the TV reporter to beat Swain.