BJP stages dharna against 'police excesses' during Bhubaneswar protest

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members and workers staged a protest in front of the Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday night alleging police excesses during their protest at Lower PMG Square.

The saffron party has accused the police of thrashing many of their workers leaving them seriously injured during their protest against Naba Das murder case and alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the State.

Several women party workers were also misbehaved by police during the protest, the BJP alleged.

Meanwhile, the national vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Arpita Aparajita Badajena has lodged a complaint at the Capital Police station in this regard and demanded stringent action against the erring police officers.

“The misbehaviour of police during the protest is not acceptable. This shows the entire administration has collapsed in Odisha,” Badajena alleged. 

“The way police have arrested our party workers on the basis of video footage, similarly we demand action against the police who have misbehaved with our women workers. Stringent action should be taken against the erring officers,” said BJP leader Jatin Mohanty. 

Notably, the police have arrested as many as 22 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha members including the wing's state unit president, Irasis Acharya following violent clashes with the police during a protest on Tuesday.

As per reports, the police have booked the arrested under sections 307, 332, 333, 325, 323, 353, 147, 148, 294, 224, 436, 506 and 149 of the IPC.

It is alleged that 21 police officials were injured during the scuffle between the BJP members and the police.

(Reported by Bibartan Panda, OTV)