Bhubaneswar: BJP activists on Tuesday demonstrated in front of Capital police station protesting against the slapping of section 307 (attempt to murder) against party workers for attack at the official residence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik's private secretary V. Karthikeyan Pandian on February 10.

The protestors took responsibility of the attack and demanded that the police to arrest them too.

BJP state vice-president Sameer Mohanty criticised the police for slapping severe sections against the party workers.

"The protestors staged a demonstration, which is a democratic right. They did not assault anyone physically. They had only damaged a flowerpot during the demonstration and everything was recorded by the media. But the police deliberately slapped severe sections, including 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC to harass the protesters. Besides, they have also tagged the demonstrators in old cases in which they did not have any role," said Mohanty.

Around 25 people holding BJP flags had barged into the house of Pandian and had broken flower pots on February 10. The protestors had also damaged vehicles and hurled cow dung on the gate and walls. They had also allegedly thrashed the security guard deployed there.

Later, the police had registered two cases on the basis of a complaint filed by the security guard and another police personnel who was allegedly abducted by the protestors when he tried to stop them.

The police have so far has arrested nine accused, including general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Rakesh Jena.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said: "We have arrested the accused who were involved in the incident and are also searching for the other accused."