Bhubaneswar: BJD MLA from Chilika, Prashant Jagadev, who was suspended by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his alleged attack on a BJP leader, has gone missing. Khurda police are now on the lookout for him. The incident of assault and verbal abuse had taken place Wednesday. Within a few hours of the incident, BJP supremo, Naveen Patnaik had suspended Prashant Jagdev. The police conducted a raid at his residence in the state capital Friday morning. However, he was not present in the house.
Jagdev allegedly abused and slapped BJP’s Balugaon Nagar Circle president Niranjan Sethi in full view of the public, September 8. He also snatched the mobile phone of a journalist present at the scene.
The BJP leader lodged a police complaint over the assault while the journalist did so at the Balugaon police station. The BJD decided to suspend him almost immediately. However, no reason for his suspension was given in the letter. Jagdev was also removed from the post of chairperson of Khurda District Planning Committee.
Both BJP and Congress opposition members disrupted proceedings in the state Assembly Thursday demanding Jagdev’s immediate arrest. Thursday incidentally, was the last day of the Monsoon Session of the Assembly.
