Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Monday threatened to launch a state-wide agitation on Tuesday in protest against the attack, allegedly by the ruling BJD, at the house of one of its leaders in Bijepur on Sunday night.
While, the BJP accused the BJD of losing ground in Bijepur, where a by-election is due to the Assembly seat, the BJD accused the BJP of orchestrating the violence in a bid to delay the poll in the constituency. On Sunday night, the criminals, who had come in a vehicle, had opened fire at the residence of BJP worker Manoranjan Meher in Pada village. No one was injured in the incident. The BJP alleged that the BJD was trying to terrorise people in the constituency as it had been losing the ground.
A delegation of the BJP, led by party president Basant Panda and BJP legislature party leader K. V. Singh Deo met the state's additional home secretary on Monday and submitted a memorandum accusing the state's labour minister Susant Singh of being involved in the incident and demanded action against the culprits.
Singh denied the charge and alleged that the BJP was making false allegation to mislead the people and delay the bypoll, as it was scared of facing the electorate. He said that the BJP worker whose house was attacked had criminal antecedents.
BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said there was no truth in the allegations levelled by the BJP. "They have orchestrated the incident to motivate the party cadres," he said.
BJP state leaders, who had assembled at the state party headquarters to chalk out strategies for the next general elections, discussed the Bijepur incident and decided to launch state-wide agitation on Tuesday. Accusing the ruling party, BJP general secretary in charge of Odisha, Arun Singh, said the BJD was trying to create a fear in the minds of people in the constituency by such activities. The party workers staged a demonstration in front of Bijepur police station demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.
A police official said that the brother of the house owner had lodged a police complaint.
