Shoe Attack on CM: Police says no political links, parties indulge in blame game

Padampur: A day after the shoe attack on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sparked off a political storm in the State, police on Tuesday claimed that the accused youth is 'mentally unstable'.

"The arrested youth, identified as Kartik Meher of Buddhapali under Padampur police limits, is not mentally sound. Besides, he belongs to an agrarian family and has no political links," said Padampur IIC Jashobant Pradhani.

The statements of the IIC is contradicting the earlier version of SDPO who had claimed that the accused youth had acted at the behest of BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi and two other persons of Budhapali village for hurling shoes at the Chief Minister.

Earlier, egg hurling charges were levelled against Meher in 2014. "However nothing came out against him in that case," Pradhani added.

On the other hand, slamming the police, Union Minister Jual Oram said, "They (police) are playing tricks to mislead people. Though the police knew that the youth is mentally deranged and had antecedents, they did not take him into preventive custody. He had earlier shown black flags to the Chief Minister."

Expressing similar views, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the shoe attack on the chief minister is a glaring example of failure of the Intelligence department.

Meanwhile, BJD activists today sat on a dharna near Mahatma Gandhi statue in Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar protesting the shoe attack on the Chief Minister.

Kartik hurled shoes at the chief minister while he was addressing a public meeting during campaigning for Bijepur bypoll for party candidate Rita Sahu at Kumbhari village in Barpali block of Bargarh yesterday.

Both BJP and BJD leaders are now at loggerheads over the shoe attack on Naveen Patnaik.
While addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Pitambar Acharya stated that the youth is mentally challenged and BJD accusing him of having links with BJP is undemocratic.

Acharya further clarified that the youth had attempted to commit suicide by jumping from Padampur Sub-Collector's office.

Refuting the BJP allegations, BJD MP Prasanna Acharya said those who are afraid of bypoll result are trying to find ways to derail the by-election process.

"We believe in peace, not hooliganism," Acharya said.