JAGATSINGHPUR: Eggs were hurled at the car of Rural Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra and black flags were showed to him by the BJP workers at Balikuda Bazaar on Tuesday. The Minister was on his way to the local health centre to inaugurate a mother and child care building on the premises. Police have arrested a BJP worker.
After attending a college union function of Balikuda College, Patra, accompanied by local MLA Prasant Kumar Muduli, was on his way to Balikuda Community Health Centre (CHC) to inaugurate the newly constructed mother and child care unit and Balikuda- Tandikula road, which had been upgraded at a cost of `5.50 crore.
While they were going to Balikuda CHC in an SUV escorted by two police vehicles, BJP activists, who were hiding, suddenly surfaced bringing the carcade to a halt. The workers waved black flags, shouted slogans against the State Government and hurled eggs at the Minister’s vehicle. Following Muduli’s complaint against one BJP activist, the latter was arrested. Police said the activist, Prasant Sahu, hailing from Balisahi under Balikuda police limits, was arrested. Security in the area was beefed up after the incident and 20 BJP activists were taken into preventive detention.
In the evening, hundreds of BJP workers, led by local leader Raghunandan Das, staged a demonstration in front of Balikuda police station protesting Sahu’s arrest.
Apparently, eggs had been pelted at the vehicle of Textiles Minister Snehangini Chhuria at Patnagarh in Balangir by BJP workers a week back. On December 13, two youths threw eggs at the vehicle of Chhuria at Gandhi Chowk and Dangabahal while she was on her way to attend a government programme. The BJP workers had pelted eggs at three places protesting non-invitation of local MLA and senior BJP leader K V Singhdeo to the programme.