Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to Paradip, Niali BJD MlA Pramod Kumar Mallick and 30 others were injured as BJD and BJP workers attacked each other at Tirtol on the Cuttack-Paradip Road on Sunday morning.
Police arrested six persons in this connection.
The BJD workers intercepted two buses carrying BJP supporters from western Odisha as they shouted slogans in support of Modi at Tirtol and beat them too. This resulted in a stone pelting battle between BJD and BJP workers in which 30 people were injured.
At this time, MlA Mallick, who was on his way to Paradip along with his supporters, stopped his car and tried to resolve the situation. But a section of the mob attacked him.
Though Mallick made a telephone call to the Tirtol PS, nobody received the call. The MlA moved back to Cuttack and was admitted at the SCB Medical College Hospital. His condition was stable, according to sources.
In the meantime, the entire mob went on a rampage and damaged as many as nine vehicles, including Mallick’s car. Then, they went to the police station and damaged furniture, doors and windows.
The situation came under control only after more forces of police were deployed there. The police later arrested six persons after registering cases against leaders of both the parties, said Tirtol PS IIC Abhaya Kumar Dalua.
The situation at the refinery inauguration site at Paradip was no better. Scuffles between workers belonging to both the parties and between workers and police took place till the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and others came to the dais. It was marked that some people were trying to break the barricade and leaders making argument with police.
After the meeting, Excise Minister and Paradip MlA Damodar Rout, who had shared the dais, told mediapersons later that the BJP made the programme a party event.
“It is a Government programme. The IOCl Chairman, who had invited us, should have delivered welcome address and the Executive Director of the project should have given the vote of thanks as per norms,” Dr Rout said.
Notably, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram delivered the welcome and vote of thanks, respectively. In reaction to Dr Rout’s remark, BJP general secretary and Odisha-in-charge Arun Singh said, “Dr Rout is not the Petroleum Minister. He should not decide what to do and what not to do.”