BHUBANESWAR: The Commissionerate Police on Sunday arrested the Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress (OPYC) president and five other party workers for abusing a petrol pump’s staff and tearing the posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest against fuel price hike.
According to police, an Assistant Sub-Inspector intercepted a group of Congress activists near their party office at Station Square where they were about to launch the protest against fuel price hike. The cop asked the activists to show him the permission for holding a rally, but they could not submit any document and proceeded towards Lower PMG. Besides the six persons, several motorcycle-borne party activists proceeded towards Lower PMG and then to AG Square before halting at a petrol pump in Delta Square under Khandagiri police limits.
They allegedly harassed the petrol pump staff and tore the posters of the Prime Minister protesting the fuel price hike. Khandagiri police reached the spot and nabbed OPYC president Loknath Maharathy and five party workers Sagar Patnaik, Swarup Dash, Prashant Sahoo, Ranjit Kumar Patra and Amir Mohammed.
“A case has been registered in this regard under several sections of IPC along with Section 4 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Section 96 of Odisha Urban Police Act,” Khandagiri IIC Himanshu Bhusan Swain said and added that at least two posters of the PM displayed at the petrol pump were torn by the activists.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan took a dig at the State Government saying when Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) workers protested against fuel price hike no one was arrested, but their party’s activists were nabbed for protesting over the same issue. State BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty said the BJD and Congress have united to oppose the saffron party.