Barbil: Tension flared up Tuesday in Bhuiyan Roida village under Joda block in Keonjhar district after the busts of Utkal Gaurab Madhusudan Das and Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das were found vandalised.
Locals condemned the act and demanded a probe into the incident. They also sought re-installation of new statues in place of the disfigured ones.
The names of these makers of modern Orissa are taken with great respect by Oriyas and their statues had been set up years back as a tribute to their contributions for a modern Orissa.
However, miscreants had broken the turban of Madhubabu and disfigured the bust of Gopabandhu Monday night hurting the sentiments of locals.
The villagers demanded immediate arrest of the accused and stringent action against them. PNN