Bhubaneswar/Jajpur, Oct 4 (PTI) BJD leader Pranab Balabantray on Sunday alleged that he and his supporters were attacked and their vehicles vandalised by a group of armed persons belonging to the ruling BJP and supporters of Dharmasala’s Independent MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo during the opposition party’s ‘Jan Sampark Padyatra’ in Odisha’s Jajpur district.
BJD president and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, strongly condemned the incident, which took place when Balabantray was leading the foot march in Madhupurgada gram panchayat in Jenapur police station area around 3 pm.
“Around 40-50 people carrying swords, axes and other weapons assaulted me and other BJD leaders with the apparent intention of causing serious injuries. Three vehicles were also damaged in the attack,” Balabantray, a two-time former MLA, told reporters, while alleging that the incident took place in the presence of the police.
Later, Balabantray filed a police complaint, seeking immediate registration of an FIR and taking of stringent action against those responsible. Jajpur Superintendent of Police Yash Pratap Shrimal said no FIR has been lodged so far.
While Sahoo was not immediately available for comments, BJP’s Jajpur district president Debajani Pradhan dismissed the allegations.
“BJD leaders are levelling false allegations against us. They are scared of the BJP’s popularity in Jajpur district,” Pradhan told reporters.
Meanwhile, hundreds of BJD leaders and workers led by former minister Pranab Prakash Das and Priti Ranjan Gharai staged a demonstration before the SP’s office demanding immediate action against Sahoo. Though Sahoo was elected as an Independent MLA, he has been supporting the ruling BJP since 2024.
The BJD, in a statement, asked the police to investigate whether the incident was politically motivated. The party also requested the SP to examine the CCTV footage, mobile phone videos, photographs, police records and other available evidence. Balabantray expressed serious apprehension regarding his safety and that of other witnesses in the case. He sought necessary protection and preventive measures.
He also requested a time-bound and impartial inquiry into the matter. Balabantray had earlier also allegedly been attacked by Sahoo’s supporters. During the 2024 assembly elections, Sahoo had defeated Balabantray by a margin of 4,150 votes in Dharmasala assembly constituency in Jajpur district.
“Deadly attacks are being carried out on people’s representatives in broad daylight and the police are silent, the government is silent — Is goondaraj reigning in Odisha?” Patnaik said in a social media post.
The former chief minister added, “From where do criminals get this audacity? Is rule of law prevailing in Odisha or that of goons? Under this government, public representatives don’t feel secure and the safety of ordinary citizens is in jeopardy.”
He alleged that such incidents were happening repeatedly across Odisha but the government was not taking any firm action.
“What does the government want: for peaceful Odisha to turn turbulent? Why is the government condoning such criminal acts? Why are exemplary actions not being taken?” he asked.
The BJD president said people of Odisha are watching everything, and keeping an account of it all.
They will give a fitting response to such anarchy and misrule, Patnaik added. PTI COR AAM ACD
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