Normal life went out of gear at Jharigaon, the Assembly constituency of Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, as the Congress observed bandh in protest against inaction against SI of Police Rashmi Ranjan Das who allegedly misbehaved Majhi during Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to Nabarangpur on January 22.
While Majhi along with others went to the helipad to receive the Chief Mionister, Raigarh police station SI Das did not allow him to enter the barricade. When the Minister insisted on moving into the helipad zone, the SI reportedly stopped him forcibly. Congress leaders led by former MP Pradeep Majhi made it an issue stating that Minister Majhi, a tribal leader, must not have been misbehaved by the police and urged the Chief Minister to tender apology for the police misbehaviour.
Day after the incident, Umerkote BJS MlA Subash Gond and Minister’s representative Pramod Padhy confirmed that the Minister had been misbehaved. The Congress leaders too talked to Nabarangpur SP Jugal Kishor Kumar and UD Minister Pushpendra Singhdeo over the matter. Singhdeo assured them that he would take up the matter with CM Office and seek action.
As no action was taken after five days of incident, the Jharigaon unit of the Congress observed the bandh in protest, said leaders.