Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the arrest of those involved in the alleged attack at the residence of the newly elected chairperson of Dhenkanal Municipality, Jayanti Patra.
The BJP has also demanded that security cover be provided to Patra and also the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the incident and the threats given to her.
Vice President of Odisha BJP Prabhati Parida condemned the attack on Patra and said, "We have three demands. First, provide security to the newly elected chairperson of Dhenkanal Municipality. Secondly, arrest the culprits. All the threats and phone calls that she has received and the CCTV footage of the incident be probed by a high-level committee."
However, General Secretary, Dhenkanal district BJD, Debasis Mishra denied the allegations of the BJP over the attack on Patra's residence and said, "People of Dhenkanal know what is the fact. Police inquiry is going on and it will all be clear very soon."
The BJP sent a team to the spot to take stock of the situation. The delegation was led by Parida and included BJP MLAs Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and Mukesh Mahaling.
Ram Chandra Patra, BJP leader and husband of Jayanti, alleged the involvement of BJD after losing the election.
"They are pressurizing us to hide their corruption. They have resorted to the bombing. Such a thing has not happened in Odisha before," he said.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today condemned the alleged attack and said that the voice of BJP leaders will not be silenced with such acts of terror.
"Deeply shocked and disturbed by the selective targeting and continued string of attacks, including the hurling of bombs at the residence of Jayanti and Ramchandra Patra in Dhenkanal. The voice of BJP leaders' will not be silenced with such acts of terror and intimidation," Pradhan tweeted.
"Dhenkanal and Odisha have always been peace-loving and law-abiding. The recent trend of pre and post-violence (around Dhenkanal Municipality polls) is a poor advertisement of the law and order situation and also on the democratic ethos of our state," Pradhan added.
Unidentified miscreants allegedly hurled a crude bomb at the house of Jayanti Patra, newly elected chairperson of Dhenkanal Municipality on Saturday night.
( With inputs from ANI )
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