BJYM activists ransack civic body office in Odisha’s Sambalpur

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Sambalpur, Jul 11:

Tension mounted in the western Odisha town of Sambalpur after Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers went on a rampage at the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC’s) office today.

More than 20 activists have been arrested by the police.

BJP youth wing activists who had gheraoed the Corporation’s office in protest against the arrest of fake National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries by the police, suddenly barged in into the office and ransacked the premises. The activists have damaged furniture and fixtures in the Corporation’s office, reports said.

Notably, BJP national secretary Suresh Pujari on last Saturday had castigated the state government over faulty implementation of NFSA in the state while urging it to release the ineligible NFSA card holders arrested by the police for availing NFSA cards.

“Section 420 cannot be applied to incidents that happen by mistake while filling up a form needed to avail a government service. Section 41 of CrPC has also been amended and it rules that police cannot make arrests in cognizable offences punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be less than seven years. Instead of arresting the ladies, notices should have been served on them first,” Pujari had argued while speaking to reporters in Sambalpur on Saturday.

It may be noted here that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed to  finalise the list of eligible card holders by July 31, the Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare department hopes that stringent police action against offenders would act as a deterrent for others to surrender the cards.