Bhubaneswar, Oct 31 (PTI) The city witnessed hectic political activities on Monday as all three major parties – the ruling BJD and opposition BJP and the Congress hit the streets over different issues.
While BJP launched its agitation to gherao ‘Naveen Niwas’ (Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s residence) over the death of a zilla parishad member of Puri district and the issue of a woman blackmailer, the ruling BJD too held a demonstration near the Raj Bhavan here blaming the Narendra Modi government over non-payment of crop insurance to farmers in the state.
The Congress on its part launched its ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Odisha from Indira Gandhi Park here with an aim to highlight the alleged failure of the BJP government at the Centre and BJD misrule in the state.
The police stopped the saffron party workers at the Sishu Bhawan Square, about 500 m from the chief minister’s residence and a scuffle ensued. The police was, however, successful in stopping the BJP protestors from proceeding and turned them away.
There were, however, no reports of any injuries on any side.
The saffron party workers led by its national spokesperson Sambit Patra staged a different agitation, beating gongs and wearing masks of different BJD leaders, including some ministers allegedly involved in the Archana Nag blackmailing episode.
“We are agitating to ensure that our voice reaches the chief minister who remains silent on different issues and shields the tainted leaders,” Patra told reporters.
“Naveen Patnaik is in a deep slumber and we need to wake him up. It has become very difficult for the people of Odisha to get justice these days,” said BJP woman leader Pravati Parida said, “Instead of punishing the leaders allegedly in the Archana Nag blackmailing case and arresting (School and Mass Education Minister) Sameer Ranjan Dash who is responsible for the death of the zilla parishad member Dharmendra Sahu, the police are stopping BJP workers from taking out their protest march,” she said.
The BJP had earlier threatened to gherao Naveen Niwas if the state government did not reveal the names of the leaders linked to the Archana Nag episode and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. It also demanded that minister Samir Ranjan Dash be brought under the purview of the investigation into the zilla parishad member’s death.
Nag, a 26-year-old woman, was arrested by police on October 6 on the charge of blackmailing people including politicians allegedly by trapping them in a sex racket. Her husband was also arrested later.
BJD MLA Ananta Narayan Jena said the party is not perturbed by BJP’s allegations. “The government has taken actions in all such cases raised by the opposition,” he said.
BJP’s agitation was criticised by the ruling BJD which accused the saffron party of using children in its march to the chief minister’s residence and lodged an official complaint with the chairperson of Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
“The Odisha BJP used children the rally to cover the lack of cadre … Using children to carry flags is shocking and painful,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty claimed.
He also alleged that BJP agitators had assaulted several policemen and damaged a vehicle. “This goes to show the sheer desperation and hooliganism in Odisha BJP”.
Meanwhile, BJD workers staged a dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan alleging non-payment of claims to farmers of the state by insurance companies and blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre for the delay.
They also staged an agitation before the offices of district collectors in 18 districts demanding speedy payment of crop insurance to farmers for the 2021 kharif season at the earliest.
It claimed that a large number of farmers are yet to get crop insurance money of the 2021 kharif season under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. The insurance companies are delaying the payment of around Rs 500 crore, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.
Rejecting BJD’s claims, BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan said that the ruling party is trying to create confusion over crop insurance for farmers “to divert people’s attention” from the alleged cash for vote slur on it in Dhamnagar by-poll and Archana Nag blackmailing case in which some of its leaders are involved.
The Congress meanwhile launched its ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Odisha and kicked off its 100-day programme from the Indira Gandhi Park here. The OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak, the party’s state in-charge A Chella Kumar and a host of senior leaders were present on the occasion. PTI AAM KK KK KK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.