State Congress president Niranjan Patnaik is a busy man. Ever since the violence during the party rally on Thursday, he has been holding party meetings and calling leaders apart from giving bites to the media. He spoke to Subhashish Mohanty on a range of issues as the party prepared for a statewide bandh on Monday to protest police action during the rally. Excerpts.

There has been a hue and cry across the state over the way Congress workers beat up a lady constable who was on duty at the party’s rally on September 6. What do you have to say?

It’s really an unfortunate incident. Personally, I feel sorry for this. I, along with other leaders, have already met the lady constable and apologised to her. One must remember that it was Congress workers who rescued her from the mob and handed her over to the police. But both the media and leaders of other political parties did not appreciate this.

What action do you envisage against those who beat up the policewoman?

I am not sure whether Congress workers were involved or not. Unruly elements may have done this at the behest of our opponents to defame us. If it is established that Congress workers are involved, we will certainly take disciplinary action against them. They will be thrown out of the party. We are ready to face any inquiry into the episode.

But let me tell you that many Congress women activists also sustained grievous injuries during the police baton-charge. But, the state women’s commission did not go to see them. I want to ask to the police brass why they allowed a lady constable to go to the front to face the mob. It’s their fault. But no one seems to be questioning the police officials on this.

Police have already lodged cases against you and senior Congress leaders including AICC leader in charge of Odisha affairs Jagdish Tytler for inciting the workers to create law and order problems. How do you respond to it?

It is undemocratic and unethical. The BJD government wants to demoralise Congress workers and suppress the Congress movement at any cost. They are free to arrest me. I am not leaving the state in fear of arrest. I welcome any sort of police action. If the police inform me that they are going to take legal action against Tytler, we will inform him and ask him to come to Bhubaneswar.

Is it not a retaliatory attempt on your part to lodge a counter complaint in the case?

We did not do it after planning. They had a well thought-out action plan. Accordingly, they made the first move and lodged the FIR. As many of our workers are admitted to various hospitals, we could not find time to take legal action. However, we will move all forums to expose the Naveen Patnaik government.

 

Police associations of the state have threatened not to be a part of security cover of Tytler and will go on strike if the senior Congress leaders are not booked for violence.

I have already appealed to them to be impartial. They are the state’s force and should not take a political stand. I hope they will do their duty.

BJD today organised a meeting protesting the Congress’ goondaraj in the state capital. How do you respond to it?

They are a political party. They are free to hold any meeting or a rally. If they had not organised the meeting, they would have had to face a lot of questions from the public. It was a face-saving move.

There are is a public perception that as you are under tremendous pressure from within your party to perform and you pulled out all stops to make the rally a success.

I am just a worker of the party. Whatever I can do for the party, I will do. I am never under pressure. The party is united. People and the Congress workers are disillusioned with the 12-year BJD misrule. Hence they came out and protested.