Bhubaneswar: The attack on MP Baijayant Panda two days ago in Mahanga during the inauguration of an overhead water project has steamed up the political atmosphere in the state as BJP and Odisha Congress today targeted Chief Minister and BJD Supremo Naveen Patnaik. Both parties have questioned the CM why a case has not been registered or action taken yet even though the MP was attacked in presence of policemen.
While the BJD spokesperson Samir Dash said the stones and egg hurling incident has not reflected well on the party, BJD vice-president Damodar Rout said the observer Usha Devi must give an unbiased report.
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So far police has not initiated any step in the incident though the MP's office had written to the Cuttack rural SP and even the police DG and Central Range IG after the plaque for the project was damaged by few protesters a day before. Yet, adequate security arrangements were not made.
"Where is the action from the state government? Where is the action from the Chief Minister and the head of the Home Department! This shows the attack on the MP happened with the CM's knowledge," alleged Sajjan Sharma, BJP spokesperson.
"Naveen babu had directed the attack on his MP. The entire incident has been designed by him," accused Congress legislator Tara Bahinipati.
However, BJD spokesperson Surya Patro said the MP should have filed an FIR. "He is a very senior MP; he should have known to file an FIR about it. If anything unlawful happens to anyone law must take its own course," he said. Similarly, MP Nagendra Pradhan said these are small issues and nothing to worry about. "Everything is taken care of," said Pradhan.
Meanwhile, MP Panda, in response to a Twitter follower asking him to take up the issue with Naveen, tweeted that this is not a school to take the issue to the principal. He also said that there is a precedent of action taken against egg attack and police should have taken action accordingly in this case as well.