Bhubaneswar: A day after the convoys of two Union ministers were attacked allegedly by BJD workers at Bargarh, BJP today criticised the Odisha government over the incident even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was shown black flags during an event in Dhenkanal.
"It (incident at Bargarh) is a very grave matter. If such incidents are repeated, a situation calling for President's rule may be created," BJP National General Secretary and Odisha in-charge, Arun Singh told reporters here.
Strongly condemning the attack on convoys of Union ministers Santosh Gangwar and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda, Singh said it exposed frustration of BJD over its fast fading popularity and shift of mass base towards BJP.
The incident, he said, also showed utter disregard towards the federal structure. "This incident shows complete breakdown of law and order machinery in the state."
That the people of Odisha have started rejecting the "corrupt and inefficient" BJD was evident in recent local bodies by-poll results, he alleged.
A BJP delegation met Governor S C Jamir and submitted a memorandum seeking direction to the state government to conduct independent probe and book culprits.
Meanwhile at Gandia in Dhenkanal district where Patnaik had gone to inaugurate a canal project, a group of BJP workers reached the venue of the function and showed black flags to him while shouting slogans against the ruling BJD, police said.
The Chief Minister had to cut short his speech and leave the function.
The BJP workers were immediately countered and beaten up allegedly by BJD supporters present at the function. Some BJP workers including councillor of local body, Naveen Dalai were injured, the police said.
Some BJP activists were picked up by the police from the venue of the CM's function at Gandia, while as many as 120 BJP supporters were taken into custody from different places of the district, said deputy superintendent of police of district intelligence bureau Ashok Pandit.