BJP to launch silent protest in Odisha against egg attacks on ministers

Bhubaneswar: BJP on Saturday said it would undertake a silent protest across Odisha on Sunday against egg attacks on several union ministers during their visits to the state recently. [caption id=“attachment_3707139” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] Besides protesting the egg attack allegedly by BJD activists on the vehicle of Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram in Kendrapara on 14 June, the party activists would also seek proper probe in the gangrape and killing of a widow in Dhenkanal district recently. Announcing the programme at a press meet in Bhubaneswar, BJP Odisha unit’s vice-president Samir Mohanty said the silent protest would be held in areas under all the municipalities, Notified Area Councils (NACs) and Zilla Parishad Zones of the state. “The decision to hold silent protest in a peaceful manner was taken to counter violent methods being adopted by the ruling BJD in the state,” Mohanty said, referring to the egg attack on Oram’s vehicle during his Kendrapara visit. The party activists would also protest the egg attack earlier on Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh’s vehicle in Bhubaneswar, he said. Stating that violence has no place in a democratic set-up, the BJP leader said the frequent attacks on central ministers by “BJD goons with the cooperation of police” had posed a serious a threat to the democracy. Alleging that investigation into the dalit woman’s gang rape and killing in Kankadahada area of Dhenkanal was conducted in a shoddy manner, Mohanty said some more people were involved in the June-12 incident, but they were not booked by the police. Claiming that ruling BJD is shaken by the surge of BJP in the state, he said in a desperate attempt to regain its grip over the people the regional party was now resorting to violence against political opponents.