Odisha BJP workers gherao sub-collector office protesting Prasanta Jagadev’s arrest
The BJP's MLA candidate's arrest was made as per plan by the BJD without verifying CCTV footage installed at the polling station, alleged BJP protestors.
Khordha: Thousands of BJP workers gheraoed sub-collector office in Khordha protesting the arrest of party’s MLA candidate Prasanta Jagadev in an EVM vandalism incident.
The protestors accused the police of arresting the BJP candidate without verifying the CCTV footage at the polling station.
“No CCTV footage has been verified before arresting Jagadev. The arrest was made as per plan by the BJD,” alleged a protestor.
“It is the BJD that used police and administration to arrest Prasanta Jagadev out of fear of losing the polls,” said another agitator.
On Sunday, Odisha BJP had threatened to gherao the Khordha Sub-Collector’s office if the arrested leader was not released by today.
According to reports, Prasanta Jagadev, the BJP’s MLA candidate from Khordha Assembly seat, vandalised an EVM at Kaunripatna polling station under Bolgarh Block during the third phase of Odisha’s twin polls on May 25.
Jagdev had visited the polling station along with his wife to exercise his franchise during which he allegedly broke down the voting machine.
Based on a complaint lodged by the concerned presiding office, police detained Jagdev for questioning and later arrested him.
A case has been registered against the BJP leader under sections 452/448/294/354/323/332/427/171(c)/506(i)/354/34 of the IPC.
However, the BJP dismissed the allegations terming it an ‘imaginary’ and ‘conspiracy’ by the ruling BJD against Jagadev.
“While Jagadev was about to cast his vote for Assembly seat, some people kicked the EVM, as a result of which it fell down and broke. It is alleged that Jagadev resorted to violence and created ruckus at the polling station. The allegations are baseless and imaginary. The state government has hatched a conspiracy against Jagadev,” a BJP leader told media yesterday.
Notably, Jagadev was elected to Odisha Legislative Assembly from Chilika on a BJD ticket in 2019. He was expelled from the party after he was booked in a mowing down case in March 2022. He allegedly ploughed his SUV through a crowd injuring at least 22 people including 10 police personnel and two journalists at Banapur area in Khordha district. He joined the BJP before the polls and got the Assembly ticket to fight from Khordha seat in 2024 elections.
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