Four more BJP workers injured in Odisha, two critical 

BHUBANESWAR: A day after two BJP leaders, including State secretary of party’s women wing Rashmi Rekha Das, were allegedly assaulted by BJD workers, four workers of the saffron party were injured in another pre-poll violence at Brahmanabada village under Delanga police limits on Sunday.All the injured were initially admitted to Delanga hospital but two were later shifted to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar. Their condition is stated to be critical. 

The BJP alleged some BJD supporters launched an attack on the four party workers while they were campaigning for their candidate Ashrit Pattanayak at Brahmanabada village. The BJP workers were mercilessly beaten up without any provocation. 

As the news of the attack spread, a large number of BJP leaders and workers campaigning in Pipili Assembly constituency rushed to the spot. Tension gripped the area with hundreds of workers staging a dharna by blocking the road near Delanga police station demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. State BJP vice-president Bhrugu Baxipatra and general secretary Lekhasri Samantsinghar told TNIE that one of the BJD workers who led the attack was a habitual offender. The BJP lodged an FIR naming four of the accused with the Delanga police and demanded registration of a case. 

“Police told us that two of the accused are under their custody. We urged the police to forward them to judicial custody failing which the road blockade will continue,” Baxipatra said.The situation became chaotic as BJD workers gheraoed the police station making counter allegation that two of their people were assaulted by BJP supporters. They demanded arrest of the BJP workers.Earlier, a delegation of BJP MLAs comprising Mukesh Mahalinga, Nauri Nayak, Nityananda Gond and Kusum Tete met the Chief Electoral Officer and submitted a memorandum over the issue.

Alleging that Pipili police is sitting over the BJP complaint, the delegation requested the CEO to take appropriate action against the police for not arresting the assaulters even after 24 hours of the incident. They further pointed out that a group of BJP workers were also allegedly attacked by BJD workers during campaigning at Raigurupur village on April 2. Accusing the police of playing into the hands of ruling BJD, the BJP MLAs said a biased police cannot ensure a free and fair election. The saffron party has been demanding deployment of the Central forces till Pipili bypoll is over.