Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday expressed sadness over the murder of Khurda BJP leader Manguli Jena and offered condolences to his family members.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote in Odia, “There is no place for violence in democracy. I condemn the violence in Khurda and offer my condolences to his family members”.
In another follow-up tweet, he added, “I urge the Election Commission to take this incident seriously and order the police to take stringent action so that such low acts are never repeated”.
ଗଣତନ୍ତ୍ରରେ ହିଂସାର କୌଣସି ସ୍ଥାନ ନାହିଁ। ଖୋର୍ଦ୍ଧାରେ ହୋଇଥିବା ହିଂସାକୁ ମୁଁ ଦୃଢ ନିନ୍ଦା କରୁଛି। ଶୋକ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରିବା ସହିତ ତାଙ୍କ ପରିବାରବର୍ଗଙ୍କୁ ମୋର ସମବେଦନା ଜଣାଉଛି।
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) April 15, 2019
It may be mentioned here that Jena was shot dead late Sunday night in Khurda leaving the town in a boil.
The saffron party is observing a six-hour Khurda bandh over the incident. The bandh that started at 8am and will continue till 2pm.
According to reports from the ground, major roads have been blocked by protestors and picketing continues at several places of the town. Besides, the road at Badapokharia on Kolkata-Chennai National Highway-16 under Nirakarpur police limits is also out of bound for motorists.
BJP workers are also staging a mass demonstration and sit-in in front of the town police station here demanding immediate arrest of the accused.