The Odisha unit of the BJP on Tuesday suspended five of its workers, including corporator Jeevan Raut, from the preliminary membership of the party for their alleged involvement in the violence in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office.
The suspended members were Rout, Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Debashish Pradhan, Sachikant Swain and Sanjeev Mishra.
The action comes after a group of people assaulted an on-duty Odisha Administrative Services (OAS) officer in his office chamber on BMC premises. The incident occurred when the official, Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo, was conducting a grievance redressal meeting in his chamber. The assailants slapped, punched and kicked the official, dragged him from his office and forced him to apologise to BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan.
Based on Sahoo’s complaint, the Bhubaneswar police arrested three persons — Debashish Pradhan and Mohapatra. A case has been registered under various BNS sections, including 109 (attempt to murder). Police sources said more people will be arrested soon in the case.
Though BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan condemned the incident, he alleged that the BMC officer had misbehaved with a woman sanitation worker for joining rallies conducted by the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister.
“When the woman sanitation worker informed me about the misbehaviour, I called the officer (Sahoo) to enquire about it. He then misbehaved with me,” Pradhan told reporters.
Pradhan, however, denied allegations that he had asked his supporters to assault the BMC official.
Story continues below this ad
The OAS association, which had called on its members to go on mass leave in protest against the assault, postponed the move following a late-night meeting with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and senior officers, who assured them of strict action against the perpetrators.
BMC employees continue a cease-work protest on Tuesday.
Reacting to the incident, BMC Commissioner Rajesh Patil said steps are being taken to enhance security in the office to ensure such incidents don’t occur in the future.
Source link
[ad_3]
[ad_4]