20 cops among 50 injured in BJP rally over ex-minister Naba Kisore Das murder turns violent in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: More than 50 persons, including 20-odd police personnel, were injured as a BJP rally over murder of former minister Naba Kisore Das turned violent here on Tuesday.
The situation turned ugly after a section of agitators tried to break the police barricade to proceed towards the state assembly, currently in session. Some protestors pelted brickbats, water bottles and eggs at the cops who tried to prevent them while the police resorted to lathi-charge. The crowd went berserk injuring many in the ensuing melee.
Bhubaneswar deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Prateek Singh said police maintained utmost restraint while the protestors seem to have come with an intention of wreaking violence. “They pelted brickbats, eggs and water bottles at the security personnel. Twenty-one of our men were injured. Some of them have sustained head injuries,” the DCP said.
“Police tried to prevent the agitators from taking law into their hands, but they had come ready with kerosene. They damaged five police vehicles while unsuccessfully tried to burn one,” he added.
Prateek said Amitabh Mohapatra, a DSP rank officer, and Debabrata Mohanty, a sub-inspector, had sustained grievous head injuries. They were shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. Police have detained 200 protestors and have continued probe to identify those involved in the violence. Action as per law will be initiated against them, he said.
BJP Yuva Morcha state president Irasis Acharya, who led the BJP protest, said the saffron party’s youth workers were staging protest peacefully against the government failure to take the ongoing probe into murder Naba Das to a logical end. However, it seems some outsiders, probably BJD sponsored goons, created disturbance. Unfortunately, police used excessive force on the BJP workers injuring many of them.
The BJP has been pressing for CBI probe into Naba’s murder by a policeman on January 29. A BJP statement said at least 50 workers had sustained injuries in police excess. “We had given prior notice regarding our peaceful protest. However, the police intentionally used excess force,” he said.
BJD leader Chinmaya Sahoo said the Irasis-led BJYM team had unleased riot in the name of protest. “It’s sequel to what Leader of opposition Jayanarayan Mishra had done in Sambalpur by assaulting a woman police officer on earlier this month. They are partners in crime,” Sahoo said.