Bhubaneswar: The women’s wing of the ruling BJD in Odisha staged a dharna here on Thursday demanding removal of Jaynarayan Mishra from the post of the Leader of Opposition for allegedly misbehaving with a woman police officer in Sambalpur.
Mishra on Wednesday stirred controversy by allegedly pushing the woman police officer during a BJP protest in Sambalpur. The incident took place in front of the district collector’s office during the party’s statewide stir on “worsening” law and order in the coastal state.
The saffron party too staged a dharna near Raj Bhavan, claiming that there was a bid to eliminate Mishra, also the BJP MLA from Sambalpur, for criticising the state government in connection with the assassination of ex-minister Naba Kishore Das.
Members of the BJD and BJP also burnt effigies of the Leader of Opposition and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik respectively.
Holding placards and banners, the BJD activists who were on a dharna on MG Road, accused Mishra of pushing and assaulting the woman police officer.
The protesters also demanded an apology from Mishra.
BJD spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra claimed Jaynarayan Mishra was a “habitual offender”, with 14 cases, including murder, registered against him.
Meanwhile, members of the saffron party demanded the chief minister’s resignation for allegedly failing to maintain law and order in the state.
The BJP for the last two days was holding demonstration across the state over the “worsening” law and order following the assassination of Naba Kishore Das last month allegedly by a former policeman.
Based on the complaint of Dhanupali Police Station Inspector in-charge Anita Pradhan, the law enforcers in Sambalpur had on Wednesday booked Mishra under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Meanwhile, Sambalpur Mahila BJP also lodged a complaint against Anita Pradhan, alleging that she had pushed and misbehaved with the Leader of Opposition.
A video (not verified by PTI) that went viral showed Mishra assaulting the woman police officer in the western Odisha city.
The BJP rank and file, including its senior leaders, came down heavily on the state government alleging that Mishra was being framed by the BJD after he launched a scathing attack on the state government following Naba Kishore Das murder case.
“It is a plot created by the BJD to fix Mishra as he was attacking the government on its weak points. The woman police officer instead misbehaved with the Leader of Opposition, who is considered as second to the chief minister in the Assembly,” said BJP state in-charge D Purendeswari.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the incident was “pre-planned” and “sponsored” by the government to “cover up its inefficiency and wrongdoings”.
“Jaynarayan Mishra was not appointed the Leader of Opposition as a charity from Naveen Patnaik. He was appointed by the Parliamentary Board of the BJP The law and order situation is fast deteriorating in the state.
“Such pre-planned and state-sponsored acts do not last long in a democracy,” Pradhan told reporters.
IG, North Range, Deepak Kumar said the police has registered a case against Mishra on the basis of a complaint by the woman police officer.
The BJP’s complaint against the police officer has been registered as a station diary, Kumar said.
The complaint by the saffron party will be probed while investigating the allegations made by the woman police officer, Kumar said.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi said, “We know an incident has taken place and the law will take its own course. The incident is worrisome both for the party and Mishra”.
Meanwhile, Mishra alleged that a group of BJD goons Thursday reached the circuit house at Sambalpur where he was staying.
“The BJD goons had come to eliminate me,” Mishra told reporters in Sambalpur.
The BJP MLA from Sambalpur also accused the Dhanupali Police Station Inspector in-charge Anita Pradhan of pushing him.
“The IIC, who was involved in corrupt practices, had intentionally shoved me. She stamped on my feet and pushed me twice,” Mishra told reporters.
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