Puri: Congress activists allegedly breached security to hurl tomatoes at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s car and demonstrated with black flags and shouted slogans during his visit here Friday.
The police had diverted the Chief Minister’s carcade from National Highway 316 to Malatipatpur bypass road to Puri-Konark road to arrive at the Gopabandhu Ayurveda Medical College conference hall through Chakratirtha road, the venue for Friday’s preparatory meeting on the upcoming car festival.
Suddenly, Swadhin Panda, a local Congress functionary threw tomatoes at the CM’s vehicle when it was on way to the meeting venue. On the other hand, some other party workers waved black flags and shouted slogans at the Chief Minister near Sadar police station.
Some Congress activists had earlier announced they would oppose Patnaik’s visit to the Holy City in the wake of controversies related to Srimandir Ratna Bhandar. Panda had also posted on the social media highlighting the protest plan.
Director General of Police (DGP) Rajendra Prasad Sharma later told the media that investigation was on to assess the lapses in the arrangements and to nab the culprits.
The police had earlier detained a number of Congress activists, but released them after the Chief Minister left Puri.
Inspector General of Police (central) Soumendra Priyadarshi, however, said, “Tomatoes hurled by Congress activists did not hit the vehicle. We had detained 40 Congress workers prior to the CM’s arrival in the city,” he said.
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Niranjan Patnaik said no Congress worker had thrown tomatoes on the CM’s carcade and that it was an attempt to tarnish the party’s image. “They have only shown black flags to the CM as a mark of protest,” he said.
However, another Congress leader and opposition chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati said the tomato attack has started from Srikhetra Puri and will spread all across the state.
BJP leader Lekhashree Samantsinghar said her party doesn’t believe in violence and this attack is a result of people’s anger over the gross irregularities in Puri temple.
BJD leader and Minister Maheswar Mohanty said he didn’t know about the incident. “If such a thing happened, is it good?” he asked of the Congress leaders.
