Bhubaneswar: Police action against BJD workers who attacked Union textiles minister Santosh Gangwar's car in Bargarh, ironically Odisha textiles minister Snehangini Chhurias district, will come under tremendous scrutiny because attempt to murder charges were slapped on protesters in lesser grave situations involving chief minster Naveen Patnaik.
In December 2013 when some farmers, under the banner of Navnirman Krushak Sangathan, blocked Naveen's motorcade in front of the secretariat, police booked around 10 farmer leaders on attempt to murder charges (IPC Section 307).
The protesters were unarmed and were carrying national flags. They had lied down on the road near AG Square blocking the CM's path.
In February 2015, around 10 youth Congress workers were booked under IPC Section 307 when they hurled eggs and showed black flags to the chief minister near Keshari Talkies while the Naveen was on his way to Utkal University.
"The attack on Gangwar, a state guest, is the gravest such situations so far. We demand arrest of the state textiles minister, MLAs Debesh Acharya (Bargarh), Sushant Singh (Bhatli) and Bargarh MP Prabhas Singh who spearheaded the attacks on attempt to murder charges," said BJP leader Bhrugu Buxipatra. "Photographs show window pane of Gangwar's car, exactly the one shielding him on the second row was damaged more," he added. BJP MLA Pradip Purohit said the attack was planned by BJD here while police remained mute spectator despite prior knowledge.
The BJP staged protest in Bhubaneswar demanding the CM's resignation and in front of police headquarters in Cuttack seeking arrest of the protesters. BJP workers also staged similar protests in many other parts of the state.
Before the stoning incident, Gangwar faced series of black flag protests along 16 km of NH from Dasmile chowk and Bargarh town on his way back from a village called Birjam where he felicitated weavers as part of a government programme. Chhuria, who was also an invitee to the event, did not attend it. Union minister Niranjan Jyoti and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda also faced black flag protests inside the western Odisha town near the venue of BJPs Vikas Utsav.
SP (Bargarh) Jugal Kishore said police had detained 80 persons. "We have continued probe. Action will be taken on the basis of circumstantial evidence and video footage," he said. BJD MLA Debesh Acharya said their protest was peaceful. Let police probe who resorted to violence, he said. The Bargarh MP also echoed similar views.