BJP holds massive protest rally in Bhubaneswar to protest Naveen’s Kalahandi visit
BY SUKANTA KUMAR MOHANTY
BHUBANESWAR, NOV. 8: Workers and leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday clashed with the Odisha police in state capital Bhubaneswar while taking out a massive rally in protest against chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to Kalahandi district.
The clash occurred an hour before the CM left for Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters of Kalahandi, to distribute Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana smart health cards to targeted beneficiaries and launch various development projects.
Several BJP leaders, including party’s Bhubaneswar unit president Babu Singh, were taken into custody by the police after the clash. Some police personnel and BJP workers suffered minor injuries in the clash.
The BJP has been holding rallies across the state for nearly a month now protesting the chief minister’s inaction to act against minister of state for home Divya Shankar Mishra for his alleged links with Gobinda Sahu, the key accused in Mamita Meher murder case.
Mamita was serving as a teacher in Sunshine Public School at Mahalinga in Kalahandi district. The minister was a regular visitor to the school where he allegedly spent nights on many occasions.
Gobinda Sahu, president of Sunshine Public School who is now in judicial custody, allegedly killed Mamita on October 8, chopped off her body and then burnt her mortal remains in a pit with tyres, straws and wood logs as the later reportedly threatened him to expose his sexual misconducts with the inmates of ladies’ hostel.
The opposition BJP and Congress and suspect the role of minister Divya Shankar Mishra behind the ghastly murder of Mamita and they have been demanding his sacking from the council of ministers.
In view of the BJP’s massive protest rally, a three-tier security arrangement had been put in place at Sishu Bhawan square in Bhubaneswar to prevent the protesters from marching towards the CM’s residence.
Several protesting BJP workers displayed black flags to the CM at the Airport Square when his carcade was proceeding to the airport. The protestors also burnt effigies of home minister Divya Shankar Mishra and law minister Pratap Jena during the demonstration.
In Kalahandi, the CM shared dais with the controversial minister Divya Shankar.
Local BJP Lok Sabha member Basanta Panda and Leader of Opposition in State Assembly, Pradipta Naik, who were invited to the event, shunned it protesting the presence of the minister Divya Shankar on the dais.
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