BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Monday came down heavily on Odisha police for ‘selective targeting’ of its leaders and urged DGP YB Khurania to take necessary action to ensure that the law and order enforcement agency in the state remained impartial.
A delegation of BJD leaders including Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick and former ministers Arun Sahoo and Sanjay Dasburma submitted a memorandum to the DGP at his camp office here and alleged that Odisha Police has shown bias by arresting leaders and cadres of the party in recent incidents.
They claimed the arrest of BJD leader Bhaba Prasad Das and party workers in Jajpur has raised concerns that police are operating in close coordination with the ruling BJP, giving the impression of a politically-biased law enforcement system. When the BJP MLA of Dharmasala was allegedly attacked, police immediately arrested 19 BJD workers without proper investigation, they alleged.
The BJD leaders claimed there are several instances across the state where leaders and workers of the regional outfit were harassed by police. “Party leaders and workers are being picked up by police even when staging peaceful dharna,” they claimed.