Berhampur/Cuttack, July 15: Congress workers today clashed with police while staging a demonstration in front of the state police headquarters in Cuttack over shooting five innocent persons in the alleged crossfire between Maoists and the security forces in Kandhmal district on July 8.
Tension prevailed after a 58-year-old woman Congress activist was injured in a tussle with security personnel during the protest. The injured activist, Basanti Tudu, suffered three cuts on her head after she was allegedly pushed by the police during the protest.
Later, the Congress activists pelted tomatoes on police in protest against the "inhuman treatment" to one of their members. "It is unfortunate that the police officials manhandled and pushed a woman activist of our party during the protest which is not accepted in a democracy," said Cuttack Nagar Congress president Mohammad Moquim.
The police headquarters was fortified with the deployment of 15 platoons of force today.
Condemning the "violence" by Congress workers, BJD spokesperson Samir Ranjan Dash said: "Violence is a part of Congress culture."
In another development, Congress MLAs, led by leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra, today visited Gumudumaha village, the site of July 8 firing.
Mishra said, "Whatever measures have been taken by the state government following the killings of innocent tribals are all eye wash to dupe the people. We have come here to have a first hand assessment to find out who is responsible for the incident and how we can avoid repetition of such incidents in the future."
The Congress delegation alleged that the state government was solely responsible for the massacre and it was trying to shield the officials responsible for the killings of the innocent people in the name of anti-Naxal operations.
Later during the day, a delegation of BJP MPs led by party's national vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe arrived In Kandhamal. They are scheduled to visit the site tomorrow. "The state government is not responsive to the killings of innocent tribals in Kandhamal. We have taken the incident seriously and have expressed our deep sorrow on the killing of innocent tribals in Kandhamal. We have come to have an on-the-spot assessment and will submit the report to our president Amit Shah," said Sahasrabuddhe.
Earlier, a ten-member fact-finding team led by BJP state unit president Basant Panda had visited Gumudumaha village. A four-member team of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had met the family members of the firing victims and injured persons at Gumudumaha on Tuesday. However, chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is now in Delhi, has stayed away from the entire episode.
Additional director general of police in charge of State Human Rights Protection Cell Mahendra Pratap, who will supervise the investigation into the incident by a special investigation team, said the SIT would visit the site and speak to the affected villagers and the police personnel.
"The ballistic test of the guns used by the police officials will be conducted to ascertain as to who had fired at the tribals," he said.
