BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition Congress and BJP have decided to intensify their agitation demanding ouster of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Ananta Jena for his alleged involvement in a sex scandal.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan on Wednesday said the Bhubaneswar district unit of the party will continue to stage dharna near the BMC office from Thursday until Jena resigns or is sacked from the post of Mayor.
Asking the State Government to hand over the Asutosh Mohanty alias Rishi murder case to the CBI, Harichandan said a free and fair probe from the Commissionerate Police is not expected as the sex video tape which has drawn Jena into controversy has links with the murder.
“A State-wide agitation will be launched if the Mayor is not removed immediately and Rishi murder case handed over to CBI,” Harichandan said at a media conference here.
Leaders of all the frontal organisations of the party will extend support to the proposed dharna near BMC office, he added.
Harichandan attacked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for using the police as a political tool and condemned the police attack on Student Congress activists including its president Itish Pradhan.
On the day, the State BJP announced that the party will gherao the office of Director General of Police in Cuttack on Thursday protesting police attack on party workers during the bandh and inaction of the Commissionerate Police in finding the culprits in Rishi murder case.
General secretary of the party Bhrugu Baxipatra said the police were a mute spectator when BJD supporters unleashed a reign of terror in the City by brutally attacking BJP activists who were picketing on the roads in a peaceful manner.