Saffron party takes potshots at Odisha chief minister

Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Saturday upped its ante against chief minister Naveen Patnaik over the Friday attack on Union ministers Santosh Gangwar and Niranjan Jyoti in Bargarh while the BJD tried to portray the western Odisha incident as a fallout of growing discontentment of people against the Centre.
Trying to corner Naveen, a BJP delegation met Governor S C Jamir and stated that the attackers had the political clearance from the BJD president to carry out the act.On Saturday, the saffron party workers showed black flags to the chief minister in Dhenkanal district and disrupted a meeting addressed by him.
Naveen, who was addressing a public meeting at Gondia after dedicating the Gondia Right Canal to farmers, had to cut short his speech as BJP supporters raised anti-Naveen slogans. Police detained 50 people, including former Rajya Sabha member and BJP leader Rudra Narayan Pany.
In a memorandum to Jamir, the BJP accused state textiles minister Snehangini Chhuria, Bargarh MP Prabhas Singh and MLA Debesh Acharya of planning and inciting violence against the ministers while police collaborated in it. Terming the attack a case of extreme intolerance and complete breakdown of law and order in the state, BJP said the incident was premediated and stage-managed by police and local administration. BJP takes strong exception to this regressive mindset and behaviour, the memorandum said.
BJP leader Prithiviraj Harichandan, who was part of the delegation, said, the party sought exemplary punishment against the erring police officers and the people's representatives involved in the incident. It is unfortunate that police detained local BJD workers and later released them, he said.
BJD vice-president and recently-elected Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya said the incident could be fallout of people's growing displeasure with the central government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many central ministers visited Bargarh and made big promises to farmers. "The farmers are unhappy that those were not fulfilled," he said.