Cuttack, Aug. 1: The BJD and the Congress are blaming each other for the clash during the municipal corporation's council meeting on July 29.
The Congress leaders today staged a demonstration, protesting against the alleged assault on its councillors during the meeting.
They demanded arrest of the BJD councillors involved in the incident. The party also demanded immediate transfer of the municipal commissioner for his alleged inefficiency in carrying out various projects in the city.
On the other hand, the BJD leaders today gheraoed Purighat police station, demanding the immediate arrest of a Congress councillor for misbehaving with a BJD counterpart during the council meeting.
The Congress has also accused the Cuttack Municipal Corporation's senior officials of not taking adequate steps to contain the dengue outbreak that has now assumed serious proportions in the city. More than 720 persons have tested positive for dengue in the past three months, while the civic body has failed to contain the outbreak, the Congress leaders alleged.
"It is a matter of concern that the Congress councillors were assaulted during the council meeting. We want immediate arrest of the ruling party councillors involved in the incident," said Cuttack Nagar Congress president Md Moquim.
Senior Congress leader Suresh Mohapatra said: "Instead of allowing the House to function, the ruling party councillors misbehaved and attacked our councillor, which is a matter of serious concern in a democratic set-up."
Last Friday, trouble erupted after Congress councillor from ward No. 4, Giribal Behera opposed the BJD councillors' statement praising the civic body officials for effectively tackling the dengue menace. Behera called the ruling members the corporation officials' chamchas as they tried to defend the officials for their failure to combat dengue, which the BJD councillors vehemently opposed.
"There was unrest in the corporation's council meeting after Congress councillor Arun Sethi misbehaved with BJD councillor of ward No. 2 Itishree Behera. Today, we asked Purighat police officials to take immediate action against those involved in the incident," said BJD leader Madhusudan Sahoo.
Ramzan Khan, BJD councillor of ward No. 16, said Itishree Behera had first lodged a complaint against her Congress counterpart. But, the police are yet to take action on her complaint.
The police said two separate cases had been registered based on complaints filed by the councillors of either party. "We are reviewing the photographs and video footage. Appropriate action will be taken against those involved in the violence," said a senior official of Purighat police station.
