Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of BJD supporters from Patkura Assembly segment in Odisha’s Kendrapara district Friday demonstrated before the party headquarters in Bhubaneswar, demanding withdrawal of suspension order on their MLA Arvind Mohapatra.
Mohapatra, along with Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud, was suspended from the BJD on the charge of “anti-party activities” January 15.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik Wednesday accused Mohapatra of creating hurdles before the development of Patkura.
Mohapatra’s supporters on Friday came to the state capital by hiring buses and staged a demonstration before ‘Sanhka Bhawan’. They demanded immediate rollback of the decision and alleged that Patnaik was misled by a group of people opposed to the leader.
After some time, a few of them were invited for a discussion. “They submitted a memorandum requesting the party chief to reconsider the suspension order,” a party spokesperson said.
The agitating BJD workers met the party’s senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra and vice president (headquarters) Pratap Jena and urged them to convince Patnaik to withdraw the suspension order.
“Both Mishra and Jena have assured them that their petition will be handed over to the BJD president, and it is his prerogative to take a decision in this regard,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.
Meanwhile, security was tightened around Naveen Niwas, the residence of the BJD president, and also ‘Sankha Bhawan’ amid apprehensions that Mohapatra’s supporters may go to the party chief’s house.
Additional forces were deployed to maintain order and prevent any untoward incident, police said.
Mohapatra reiterated his statement and said that allegations against him were false and fabricated.
PTI
