BHUBANESWAR:A day before the visit of national BJP president Amit Shah to the city, the BJD ruled Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed BJP posters and hoardings triggering road blockade and consequent chaotic traffic on the road leading to Raj Bhawan. Outraged by the action of the BMC, BJP workers resorted to road blockade at the Power House square here for nearly 6 hours and damaged vehicles of corporation.
The prolonged road blockade at the Power House chhak, one of the busiest route of the city connecting Raj Bhavan, Satate Secretariat, Head of the Departments and CRP Square, threw the traffic out of gear. Tension ran high at the Power House Square following clash between police and BJP workers when police asked the BJP workers staging demonstration to vacate the place. The angry workers resorted to violence by hitting BMC vehicles which led to a clash with police.
Normalcy, however, returned following assurance from Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania for reinstallations of posters, banners and hoardings highlighting the visit of Shah. The BJP has lodged a complaint against BMC Mayor Ananatya Narayan Jena and commissioner Krihan Kumar in Capital polcie station demanding action against them for ordering the removal of the campaign materials the party which include the posters of Prime Minister Narandra Modi.
"The BMC has not touched any of BJD posters in the city but tore off our campaign materials. Clearly, it is evident that the ruling party is scared of the growing popularity of the BJP," said state BJP general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra. Accusing the BMC commissioner of acting like a BJD worker, Baxipatra said under the Civicl Service Code an IAS officer is not authorised to issue instruction for removal of the poster of the Prime Minister.
"We wil bring this to the notice of the appropriate authority," he said. Justifying the action, BMC commissioner said the city has been declared as no hoarding zone with effect from November 1. Besides, the BJP has not taken permission from BMC for putting of its campaign materials. On his second visit to the state, Shah will address the Jana Jagaran Mahasamavesa, a state level rally against the failure of the BJD government.