BJP workers barge into res of Odisha CM’s private secy, hurl cow dung

Bhubaneswar: Several workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today barged into the official residence of V Karthikeyan Pandian, the private secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, here and hurled cow dung at the main gate.

Alleging that Pandian is working for the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the saffron party activists waiving BJP flags stormed into the official’s residence, broke flower pots, damaged few vehicles parked on the premises and pelted stones.

A scuffle ensued between the BJP workers and policemen while the former were trying to enter inside the house, following which they were detained. Four of them have been arrested, police sources said.

On being informed, Twin City Police Commissioner YB Khurania and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena rushed to the spot.

“The Commissionerate Police is taking the matter seriously. Strong action will be taken against those involved in the act,” Khurania said.

Condemning the act by the BJP workers, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said, “The incident is an unfortunate one and it depicts the mentality of top BJP leaders. Such kind of protests are unacceptable in democracy. Police should take action against those involved in the incident.”

On the other hand, BJP Vice President Sameer Mohanty said, “Pandian is acting like a ‘super Chief Minister’. His favouritism towards the BJD is not acceptable. The protest against him has intensified.”

Both the IAS Officers’ Association and OAS Officers’ Association have condemned the incident and demanded stringent actions against the culprits.

Worth mentioning, Pandian was recently targeted by some politicians, including those of BJD, for allegedly intervening in BJD’s party affairs.