BHUBANESWAR: Director General of Police Dr RP Sharma on Wednesday sought a detailed report from Bargarh SP in the shoes hurling episode at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s meeting venue in Kumbhari village under Barapali block. Further action would be taken after receiving the report from Bargarh SP on the incident.Sources said, the DGP has asked all SPs to strictly follow the Yellow Book while making security arrangements for VVIPs like Governor and the Chief Minister. All manuals on creation of barricades, proximate enclosure and frisking must be ensured during planning and executing the security plans.
Similarly, the SPs have also been asked to spruce up their intelligence apparatus during visits of VVIPs while working in close coordination with the organisers to ascertain identities of people who are allowed to take the front rows. The IGs and DIGs of the police ranges have also been directed to closely supervise the measures.Meanwhile, sources in Bargarh said the venue at Kumbhari did not have enough space to meet the requirements of security measures necessary for CM’s meeting. There was acute shortage for no-man’s land and barricading space.
It was reliably learnt that Bargarh Police wanted the CM’s meeting to be held in an open ground because of space constraints. However, the organisers apparently insisted that meeting be held at Kumbhari because it was party candidate Rita Sahu’s home turf.However, it is still unclear why there was no barricading at the meeting venue which allowed Kartik Meher to get very close to the stage where the CM was addressing.
Meher, a native from Padampur area, was arrested by police after he hurled shoes at the Chief Minister on Tuesday evening which led to a raging war of words between BJD and BJP.Preliminary investigation revealed he is an extreme right thinking youth and considers UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath his idol. The BJD has claimed that Meher is a member of RSS and party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pratap Deb even showed pictures of the youth in RSS uniforms on Wednesday.Meher is currently admitted to VIMSAR, Burla. Police will interrogate him about his motives after he is fit to be examined.