Bhubaneswar: The lower PMG area in front of the Odisha state Assembly Tuesday turned into a battleground as hundreds of BJP Yuva Morcha activists led by its President Irashis Acharya and the police personnel scuffled with each other.
Several police personnel and Yuva Morcha activists were injured during the incident.
While police resorted to mild lathi charges to disperse the Yuva Morcha activists trying to march to the state Assembly violating the prohibitory orders, the agitators pelted eggs and threw water bottles at the police.
The Morcha activists tried to break the police cordon and march ahead to gherao the state Assembly but the heavy police deployed at the spot prevented them from proceeding further.
To protest the police action, the BJP Yuva Morcha activists sat on a dharna on the road and shouted slogans against the government and police. The police rounded up several activists.
The Yuva Mocha activists were protesting against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and demanding CBI Probe into the murder of Health and family welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das.
They also demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his failure to maintain law and order situation in the state.
Acharya said although a month has passed since the murder of the minister, the police have not yet been able to unravel the motive behind the murder.
The Yuva Morcha leader said not only this case, but the Crime Branch was not able to crack any case handed over to it and cited the example of the Mamita Meher murder case, the double murder case in Mahanga and Pihu murder case to substantiate his allegation.
Acharya alleged that the government is misleading the inquiry and telling lies to the people of the state stating that the crime rate has increased by 66 per cent during the last five years. He alleged that the people are no more feeling safe in the state.
While the BJP morcha was holding the protest rally, the BJD MLAs and the activists of the BJD Mahila Dal also staged a protest near the Raj Bhawan accusing the Centre of depriving houses to the poor people of the state under the PMAY.
UNI