Hundreds of BJP workers blocked a road near Courtpeta and staged a peaceful demonstration on Friday evening protesting against the atrocities of police on the innocent public, social activists and working journalists while they were on peaceful dharna against controversial self-styled godman Sarathi Baba at Kendrapada.
The BJP protestors were holding placards describing Naveen Patnaik as “Bhanda Guru” and Sarathi Baba as “Bhanda Baba”.
It may be mentioned here that the local public and thousands of devotees throughout the State got annoyed against Sarathi Baba for his alleged escapades in Hyderabad which were exposed on TV channels. When hundreds of protestors, including women and social activists, were on a peaceful dharana in front of Sarathi Ashram on Thursday, the police personnel deployed there went berserk by damaging vehicles parked on both sides of the road and thrashing the protestors.
Even the police took in custody women protestors and well-known social activists and harassed them. The protestors pelted stone at police because of their high handedness. Addressing workers, BJP district president BK Swain and former Mayor Shiva Shankar Das demanded immediate suspension and arrest of Kendrapada SP Satish Gajaviye.
The party also condemned the arrest of State BJP chief KV Singh Deo and senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra while they were on peaceful protest at Bhubaneswar.
The protest at Brahmapur was led by BJP district president Swain and former BMC Mayor Shiva Shankar Das.