Pradeep Pattanayak

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers on Saturday staged a demonstration at the office of the deputy commissioner of police in Bhubaneswar, demanding action against School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash for his alleged involvement in the death of BJD Zilla Parishad member Dharmendra Sahoo's death case. 

The saffron party leaders and workers demanded a probe of the audio clip wherein the deceased leader himself uttered the Minister’s name. Alleging the involvement of the School and Mass Education Minister in the death of Dharmendra Sahoo, the leaders launched a verbal attack on the police, for they are dragging their feet in taking action against Minister Dash. 

While the workers continued sloganeering against the police’s inertia, leader Prabhati Parida demanded the mysteries behind Sahoo’s death should be immediately solved. 

“The police are making the mockery of the 5T and ‘Mo Sarkar’ by shielding the School and Mass Education Minister. The minister of their party (BJD) is involved in the murder of their party’s Zilla Parishad member. And now, the family members of the deceased leader don’t feel safe from the party (BJD). If the family doesn’t get justice, the BJP will intensify the agitation,” said Parida. 

“We would like to ask the DCP as to why the audio has not been verified and why the six names featured in the audio clip have not been brought into the purview of investigation. If the police will hush up the case and try to let the minister go by accepting bribe, the agitation will be intensified,” she added. 

Minister Dash couldn’t be reached for his reaction on the BJP’s allegation.

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