Odisha BJP smells conspiracy behind Sambalpur violence; BJD reacts

Bhubaneswar: Odisha unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put the state government in dock questioning its silence on violence in Sambalpur town in which over a dozen police personnel and civilians were injured yesterday.

Condemning the act allegedly by some anti socials belonging to minority group during Hanuman Jayanti motorcycle rally in Sambalpur, Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal asked as to why the state government was silent over the issue.

“Even after 12 hours of the incident, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also the Home Minister, is yet to speak over the issue. This proves failure of law and order situation,” Samal said in a press meet today.

“Ahead of procession, Hanuman Jayanti Coordination Committee had demanded Sambalpur district administration for deployment of more police personnel at riot-prone places. However, the government did not pay heed to it. The police personnel deployed at the site were the mute spectators,” he said asking how the intelligence wing was not aware about the attack.

“Apart from passing order of section 144 in Sambalpur, the state government remained silent over the issue. Why the rioters have not been arrested so far? Seems like there is a pressure on the police not to catch up any rioter in the incident, the state BJP chief said.

“Hundreds of motorcycles have been vandalised during the clash between two groups. Many including Hanuman Jayanti Coordination Committee’s working president Damodar Kar are severely injured in the violence. Tomorrow is Hanuman Jayanti, but the common people are panicked due to the incident,” he said demanding the government for arrest of rioters within 24 hours and formation of a high level committee for probe into the incident.

In the counter allegation, ruling BJD slammed the BJP for politicising the issue.

“Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is doing politics over the law and order situation in Sambalpur. Everyone knows about the law and order situation in BJP-ruled states. Instead of facing the sensitive issue with patience, the BJP is not far away to make dirty politics over it,” said BJD Spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra.