Bhubaneswar: Staging protest against alleged distress sale of paddy at mandis, members of the BJP Krushak Morcha today tried to barge inside the Odisha State Secretariat here.

Holding placards and banners, the members of the farmers' wing of the BJP headed towards Gate No. 4 of the Secretariat in a bid to enter inside the premises. They shouted anti-government slogans and demanded resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Cooperation Minister Surjya Narayan Patro.

They scuffled with policemen near the gate, following which all of them were taken into preventive custody.

Notably, Minister Patro had earlier challenged the Opposition parties to prove that paddy was being procured at prices below stipulated MSP of Rs 1750 per quintal in mandis.