Odisha opposition vows to step up agitation on sex video clip

Vowing to intensify their stir against Bhubaneswar Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena over his alleged role in a sex video clip, Congress and BJP today said the agitation would continue till the BJD leader resigns and a CBI probe is ordered into the matter.
Addressing separate press meets, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Prasad Harichandan and BJP state unit General Secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra accused the BJD government of shielding the Mayor despite his alleged role in the sex clip, which was also linked to the death of an engineering student in May, this year.
Forcefully demanding a CBI probe into the entire issue, Harichandan said the charges against the Mayor would never be probed by state police in a fair and impartial manner due to pressure as Jena, also a General Secretary of BJD, happens to be an influential leader.

Congress would step up the agitation to press for resignation of the Mayor, he said, adding that party workers would stage dharna outside the headquarters of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) till Jena tendered his resignation from the post.
Describing the matter as serious, he said despite allegations that the sex video purportedly featuring the Mayor had links with the death of engineering student Ashutosh Mohanty alias Rishi, the police failed to conduct investigation in a professional manner.
The PCC chief hit out at the Naveen Patnaik government, accusing it of failing to deal with the case seriously and ensure prompt and time-bound probe by police.

After his party observed a 12-hour bandh in the state capital demanding removal and arrest of the Mayor, BJP leader Baxipatra said party workers would gherao the office of the DGP at Cuttack tomorrow to press for speedy and proper probe into Rishi murder case and the sex video.

Slamming the police for its role in handling the case, the BJP leader alleged that investigation into the matter was conducted in a shoddy manner because of pressure from the ruling BJD which tried its best to shield the tainted Mayor.
Claiming that the ruling BJD was rattled following the success of Bhubaneswar shutdown today, Baxipatra said a worried BJD organised a bike rally at the instance of the chief minister in a bid to foil the bandh.

However, the bandh was a "historic" success as it evoked overwhelming support from the public despite attempts by BJD to terrorise them, he said, adding BJP would continue a vigorous agitation till the Mayor is removed and arrested.