The BJP Ganjam district unit on Monday slammed the State Government for detention of hundreds of party leaders and workers, including district president Kahnu Charan Pati, ahead of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to the district.
“The Chief Minister has lost confidence to go to common people, even amid tight security. It is more astonishing that he fears to move on roads in his own district. He is frightened by the BJP’s increasing popularity. We condemn police action on our party workers ahead of his visit,” Pati told a Press conference here.
He criticised Patnaik for spending a lot of public money on his tour. “It has amazed common people here that as many as nine helipads were erected for the Chief Minister’s movement within a 50-km distance,” he said.
Pati too came down heavily on deployment of police personnel in civil dress at the BJP district executive meeting held at Gopalpur on Sunday and beating of BJP district secretary Balkurshna Samantray by BJD workers in the presence of the Southern IG at the Brahmapur railway station. .