Blame game ensues between BJP, BJD in Odisha post Bijepur firing

Bhubaneswar: War of words erupted between BJD and BJP after gunshots were fired at the house of Manoranjan Meher, a worker of the saffron party, in Odisha’s Bijepur yesterday.

While BJP accused the conch party of trying to frighten its workers, the BJD alleged that the BJP is politicising the matter.

BJP’s Odisha-in-charge Arun Singh, who is on a 2-day visit to the state, said, “The popularity of BJD is decreasing due to lack of any significant achievement of the party and their defeat in Bijepur by-poll is likely. This is why they are committing such acts to frighten BJP workers. But the people of Odisha are with the workers of BJP for which there is no need for us to fear.”

“The incident is being politicised by BJP. Law is equal for all and it will take its own course. As there is a by-poll in the future, the BJP is intentionally blaming the BJD for its benefits,” said BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb.

On the other hand, a team of BJP leaders, led by party’s state president Basanta Panda, met Home Secretary Asit Tripathy today. “We have apprised the matter to the Home Secretary,” Panda said besides alleging that the firing has been done under the direction of BJD leader and Bhatli MLA Susanta Singh.

Similarly, several BJP activists, led by Padmapur MLA Pradip Purohit, staged a sharna before Bijepur police station today.

Susanta Singh, however, rejected the allegation saying that Manoranjan Meher had recently said at a meeting of the BJP to fire at BJD leaders including him. There is no involvement of BJD in the firing, he said.

According to eyewitnesses, some unidentified miscreants who had their faces covered came in a Bolero SUV and fired gunshots at the residence of Manoranjan Meher, circle president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of BJP, at around 8 pm yesterday and fled the spot.