Telkoi MLA meets CM; seeks security

Bhubaneswar: Hours after the police arrested seven persons for the attack on him, BJD's Telkoi MLA Vedvyas Nayak met chief minister Naveen Patnaik today at his residence here seeking security for himself.

Accompanied by his mother, Nayak, who was recently injured in an attack by own party workers during a meeting at Gundicha Ghagi in Keonjhar district, said that supporters of a minister and MP had thrashed him. "They have been opposing me since I was elected to Assembly because they did not want me to contest the election on BJD ticket. I was trying my best to make yp with them, but failed," Nayak said.

The MLA also said his good terms with the dalit and tribal communities did not go well with the minister and MP. "They also do not like me as I belong to a dalit family," he added.

The legislator was critically injured in the attack by the party workers at a party meeting at Gundichaghagi in Keonjhar district on August 28. He had sustained severe injuries on his back and head and was admitted to Harichandanpur health centre and later shifted to SCB medical college and hospital in Cuttack.

Harichandanpur police arrested seven accused in the case on Tuesday night while five others are still on the run.