BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said he has asked the party’s Cuttack district observer to inquire into the attack on BJD dissident Kendrapada MP Baijayant Panda at Mahanga on Tuesday.
Patnaik remarked that the BJD is “against any form of violence”. However, Mahanga MlA and Health and law Minister Pratap Jena, while regretting the assault on Panda, said the MP is responsible for the “resentment among people” for his persistent criticism of the functioning of the BJD though his media statements.
Stating that he was away at Siridi at the time of the Tuesday violence at Mahanga, Jena said Panda’s statements have enraged the BJD’s rank and file. But he claimed that those who attacked Panda were not locals of Mahanga and were, instead, brought by ten cars from outside the area. BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that the Mahanga violence was enacted at the instance of Naveen Patnaik. He stated that hooliganism is prevailing in the BJD as the State’s ruling party has been much shaken due to its fast losing people’s trust.
Notably, several BJD workers, believed to be supporters of Pratap Jena, pelted brickbats, eggs and shoes at Panda when he was inaugurating a drinking water project at Jatiparilo village under Rahania panchayat in the Mahanga area of Cuttack district on Tuesday. An egg directly hit Panda’s head.
In another development, the Cuttack Rural police have decided not to take suo moto cognisance of the attack on Panda at Mahanga in Cuttack district. “Since we have not received any complaint even after 24 hours of the alleged attack on the MP, we have not registered any case in this connection,” said Cuttack Rural SP Madhav Chandra Sahu.
“We have neither received any complaint nor have we seen any video footage of the MP being attacked,” the SP said, adding that the situation is, however, under the scrutiny of the police.
local Mahanga police station IIC SS Parida, when contacted, said that looking at the volatile situation at the spot, adequate police arrangements had been made to maintain law and order. But the question asked by many is that when a cognizable offence took place in the presence of police, why the police are not taking cognizance of it suo moto.
“Under Section 154 of CrPC, any police officer present at the spot can draw up a report and the same can also be treated as an FIR to begin investigation,” said former IG of Police SN Swain.