The Ganatantra Surkshya Manch organised a protest meeting against strangling of the voice of media and physical assault on Utkal Bharat president and former MP Kharabela Swain here on Friday.
The meeting presided over by former Union Minister Brajakishore Tripathy was attended by BJP leader Bishwabhusan Harichandan, CPI (M) leader Jagannath Mishra, Paradip MLA Dr Damodar Rout, Congress spokesperson Aryakumar Jnanendra, Samajwadi Party State secretary Sudarshan Pradhan, freedom fighter Padma Charan Nayak, CPI leader and former MLA Narayan Reddy and others.
The leaders strongly condemned the attack on Swain during a public meeting at Kashipur in Rayagada district on November 24. They said that physical assault on an upright politician like Swain indicates that there is little rule of democracy in the State.
Alleging that corruption and mismanagement have grown in the State under the BJD Government, Harichandan said the democracy is being attacked and, thus, the campaign would continue to protect it.
Reddy said his party would take this issue as a political agenda during the upcoming elections and urged all other parties to take the same to oust the ruling BJD Government.
The opposition has the right to raise voice against the State Government in a democratic setup and the ruling party must accept this, said Utkal Bharat chief Kharabela Swain. Rout said that nowadays politicians are coming to fight elections not to serve people but to earn money to lead a luxurious life, and this is the reason behind the attack on Swain.
Alleging that the State Government has turned into a dictatorship, Rout urged everyone to unite and take to the streets to get rid of autocratic attitude of the present Government.