Bhubaneswar/Dhenkanal, June 25: BJP workers today waved black flags at chief minister Naveen Patnaik during his visit to Dhenkanal, in a retaliatory move to BJD workers' attack on Union textiles minister Santosh Gangwar's car at Bargarh yesterday.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh today spoke to the chief minister and expressed his concern over yesterday's incident. Singh asked Naveen "to look into the incident and ensure the safety and security of Union ministers visiting the state", said the tweet by the home minister's office today.
The window screens of Gangwar's car were damaged when the BJD workers pelted the vehicle with stones while he was on his way to attend the party's Vikash Parb in Bargarh. The BJD workers, led by its local MLAs, were protesting against the visit of two Union ministers - Gangwar and minister of state for food processing Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti - accusing the Modi government of neglecting the state.
Incidentally, Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar and party general secretary Odisha-in-charge Arun Singh are scheduled to visit Cuttack tomorrow to celebrate the BJP's Vikash Parb function, aimed at highlighting the achievements of the Narendra Modi government over the past two years. Cuttack being the nerve centre of coastal politics, the state government is said to have beefed up security in the city. The BJP has a sizeable following in the city.
Today, BJP workers showed black flags to Naveen during his visit to Gondia to inaugurate an irrigation canal.
Police detained around 120 BJP workers, including former MP Rudra Narayan Pani, in the district for staging demonstrations at various places.
Eyewitnesses said Naveen was shown black flags when he alighted from a chopper at Panchupati and later at his public meeting at Gondia. Similar protests were staged at other places in the district. At the chief minister's public meeting, BJD workers beat up three BJP workers when they tried to wave black flags. The police rescued the three demonstrators.
In Angul, the police detained former Pani and his supporters to prevent them coming to Dhenkanal to protest.
"It appears that Naveen is panicked over the BJP's growing popularity in the state," Pani said.
In Bhubaneswar, a BJP delegation today met governor S.C. Jamir and urged him to probe into yesterday's incident and take action against the BJD workers.
The memorandum given to the governor said: "The local MP and MLAs, including state textile minister Snehangini Chhuria, had planned this incident and incited violence by making provocative speeches two days ago, threatening not to allow the entry of any central ministers into Bargarh."
Senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari alleged that the Chief Minister's Office was putting pressure on the police not to take action against the BJD workers.
He demanded that the call records of the DGP, Bargarh SP and the Chief Minister's Office be verified.
BJD spokesperson Samir Ranjan Dash scoffed at the allegations and claimed that the police had taken swift action and arrested 15 persons involved in the incident.
However, BJP state general secretary Bhrigu Buxipatra said: "Though the police arrested the hooligans and local MLAs, they were later released without any action. This proves that it was a pre-mediated incident."
The BJD's Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya defended his party's demonstration in Bargarh and said: "The Prime Minister, during his earlier visit to Bargarh, had promised much. But none of the promises has been fulfilled. The public anger against the neglect of the region was reflected yesterday."
