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Bhubaneswar: Activists of BJP State unit today protested removal of party flags and hoardings of national party president Amit Shah from near Kalinga Stadium and no-hoarding zones in the city ahead of the inaugural ceremony of Asian Athletics Championship here today.
The saffron workers had a scuffle with the BMC officials while they were pulling down the hoardings near the Stadium leading to tension at the spot. They forcibly waylaid four BMC vehicles carrying the posters and flags.
“They barged into the vehicles and exchanged arguments with our workers engaged in removal of the hoardings and posters. They asked us to unload the banners and hoarding from the truck. As we refused to do, they took away four of our vehicles to their office,” driver Gobinda Barik said.
The move has been termed by the BJP as a sign of BJD’s intolerance. “The act is highly condemnable. Being intolerant over BJP’s growing popularity in Odisha, especially in Bhubaneswar city, BJD government forced the BMC officials to remove the hoardings of Amit Shah. It is unfortunate that banners and hoardings were pulled down at a time when Shah is currently on State visit. The BMC commissioner will have to reply on it soon,” a BJP activist said.
“If this was to be done, we could have been informed much earlier through proper notification. But, what led them to act on it during Shah’s visit?” he asked.
Hoardings of Shah and BJP flags were put up at different places in the city including areas near Kalinga Stadium to welcome the party chief who is on a three-day State visit to hold party’s 'Mo Booth Sabuthu Majboot' programme.
