Bhubaneswar, Aug. 16: Congress activists played hide-and-seek with cops all morning, as they went all out to block the chief minister's route to work and continued to test the patience of the police.
The cops had a hard time making foolproof arrangements for the chief minister's cavalcade to pass through AG Square to reach the state secretariat.
After the cops succeeded in controlling the Congress activists near Master Canteen, the protesters turned AG Square into the nerve-centre of the agitation, as it is the gateway to the state secretariat. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik takes the AG Square route to his office every day.
Mindful that Youth Congress workers had last year thrown eggs at Naveen's cavalcade, the police took all preventive measures to ensure smooth passage of his cavalcade today.
Aware that there could be trouble, most ministers, including Ashok Panda, Sanjay Dasburma, Pranab Das and Pradeep Maharathry, were seen entering the secretariat through the back gate of the complex on two-wheelers.
Two hours before Naveen's cavalcade was to pass through AG Square, the police turned it into a fortress. Police vans, barrier gates and hundreds of cops were deployed near the square, 200 metres from the secretariat. Since morning, the cops had been removing protesters who came in groups to block AG Square.
However, the cops' plans went haywire for nearly half an hour when leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra, accompanied byRanjib was heard arguing with the policemen_ that no one could prevent a person from going to the secretariat for work. and tried to reach AG Square. The cops, however, persuaded them to leave.
At the same time, Congress leaders led by PCC president Prasad Harichandan tried to reach the main gate of the secretariat through Lower PMG Square. The cops detained them.
Immediately afterwards, a group of 50 motorcyclists reappeared tried to reach AG Square yet again. Senior officials, including commissioner of police Y.B. Khurania and DCP Satyabrat Bhoi, reached the spot. There was a minor scuffle. Some of the activists ran away, but a section courted arrest.
"We did not want to take a chance. We remember how Youth Congress activists pelted eggs at the chief ministers' cavalcade on his way to Utkal University last year," said a senior police officer.
Finally, Naveen, who usually reaches office at 11.35am, arrived at 12.10pm. Escorted by at least 10 police vehicles, the cavalcade drove through AG Square at high speed.
