Sambalpur, Jan. 13: Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayana Mishra and more than 80 BJP workers were taken into preventive custody ahead of chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to the district today.

Town police arrested 66 BJP workers while the Dhanupali police arrested 16 more of them apprehending protest during the visit of the chief minister.

“The BJP workers were arrested from several places of the city. They were later released on personal recognisance bond,” said Sambalpur sub-divisional police officer Pradeep Kumar Mohapatra.

Naveen today attended the global alumni meet at Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology at Burla and also went to a meeting of Odisha Kendupatra Karmachari Sangha at Rairakhol.

Reacting to the arrest of Jayanarayana Mishra, BJP district president, Nauri Naik said: “I am surprised that the police arrested an elected representative. Jayanarayana Mishra was invited to the chief minister’s meeting at Burla. But he could not attend it because he was arrested.”

Burla police also arrested 10 BJP workers and 10 Congress workers from several parts of the town before the arrival of the chief minister.

Also, 15 Congress workers including Congress leader Asaf Ali Khan were arrested at the meeting of the Odisha Kendupatra Karmachari Sangha at Rairakhol while they were trying to waive black flags at the chief minister.

Police said they were arrested because they tried raising slogans at the meeting. They were later released on personal recognisance bonds.