BJD leader held over egg-pelting'

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha police on Monday arrested two more persons, including BJD leader Bhisma Mohanty, for allegedly pelting eggs at Union minister Jual Oram during his recent visit to Aul in Kendrapara district.

Seven other persons were earlier arrested in connection with the case. The police action came after Mr Oram on June 16 wrote to Union home minister Rajnath Singh, urging him to intervene and put pressure on the state government to bring the culprits to book.

Blaming police failure for the incident and terming the attack a “condemnable act,” Mr Oram had said in the letter that “locals goons of ruling Biju Janata Dal” were involved in it.

He also alleged “very poor security arrangements” during his June 14 visit to Kendrapara even as the tour programme was sent to the district police in advance.

“It is the responsibility of the state government to provide foolproof security to the visiting Union ministers attending functions in the state. But, it seems that the Odisha has failed miserably in performing their duty with due diligence, thereby giving scope to some criminal elements to display this kind of undemocratic behaviour, which is not only highly objectionable, but also against the spirit of democratic protest,” Mr Jual had cited in the letter.

Four days before the attack on Mr Oram, Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh had met with a similar fate in state capital Bhubaneswar. The Youth Congress activists pelted at eggs at him while he was going to attend an official programme.

“These types of incidents in increasing number expose lack of seriousness on part of the administration resulting in very sloppy and inadequate security arrangements by the state government for the visiting Cabinet ministers, including those who have been targeted by the Naxalite elements in the past,” Mr Oram said.