The BJD's Jan Sampark Yatras have been running into rough weather with party dissidents and others disrupting the programmes with shows of black flags and pelting eggs at ruling party leaders, including Ministers and MlAs.
Such an instance came to the fore again on Wednesday when dissident party workers and BJP activists showed black flags to Agriculture and Fishing and Animal Resources Development Minister Pradeep Maharathy at Gop in Puri district. Maharathy had gone to lead a Jan Sampark Yatra there.
Despite heavy security arrangements, opponents managed to protest his visit by showing black flags. A BJP worker was arrested, reports said.
On Tuesday, Jayadev MlA Shashi Bhushan Behera was shown black flags in his own constituency for the third time. The Balianta block BJD had organised the Jan Sampark Yatra in Pratapsasan panchayat, Purandhan and Jhiinti Sasan gram panchayats under the Jayadev Assembly constituency.
While MlA Behera started walking from the Bhargabi bridge at Balakati, hundreds of women and BJD workers shouted slogans against him. Then he went on a bike to Jhiinti Sasan. When he reached there, a woman came on a bike and threw an egg at the MlA. The Balipatna police arrested the woman, identified as Tapoi Behera and seized her Scooty. However, Tapoi was released on personal bond later.