FIR against Odisha ministers, MLA for assaulting BJP workers

An FIR has been lodged against five persons including two ministers and one Biju Janata Dal MLA for allegedly thrashing some BJP workers in Odisha's Boudh district on Friday.

The youth wing of the BJP in the district lodged the FIR against Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma, Housing and Urban Development Minister Puspendra Singhdeo, BJD MLA Prashant Kumar Jagdev, Bhubaneswar corporator Amaresh Jena and BJD youth wing vice-president Bijay Nayak.

The FIR has been lodged at Manamunda police station in Boudh district.

According to sources, some workers of the saffron party showed black flags to the two ministers at Manamunda when they were on the way to the Boudh Collector's office to stage a protest against construction of projects in the upper catchment of Mahanadi river by the Chhattisgarh government.

Following the incident, some BJD supporters including Prashant Jagdev and Amaresh Jena came out of a car and started thrashing the BJP workers in the presence of policemen, sources said.

"The assault on our party workers shows undemocratic and inhuman nature of the ruling party. We demand strict action against the involved persons or else we would intensify our stir across the state," said state BJP General Secretary Prithviraj Harichandan.

He said members of the BJP legislature party would visit Boudh district to take stock of the situation.

BJD youth wing vice-president Nayak said: "BJD ministers and leaders were there to protest Chhattisgarh government's project on Mahanadi, which will have an adverse impact on Odisha. It is unfortunate that while going to attend such a protest, our leaders were shown black flags."

BJD spokesperson Sameer Das, however, said the party president would take appropriate steps after looking into the incident.

IANS

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