SAMBALPUR: Former BJP minister Jaynarayan Mishra stirred another controversy by abusing a police officer, who prohibited him from entering an area within the Hirakud dam on Tuesday.
Burla police station IIC Tophan Bag has filed an FIR against Mishra.
According to reports, Bag stopped Mishra’s vehicle that was following Union Minister Uma Bharati’s carcade from crossing over the dam from Burla. This infuriated Mishra, who got down from the car and verbally abused Bag. Eyewitnesses said Mishra even tried to hit Bag only to be prevented by BJP national secretary Suresh Pujari.
Bag said he was instructed not to let more vehicles through the dam for security reasons. Vehicle of the Union Minister and that of officials of the Ministry concerned were allowed entry. However, the vehicle in which Mishra was present appeared after some time and did not have the permission to pass through the dam. “When I stopped it, Mishra got down and abused me,” the police officer said, adding that the former minister also tried to assault him.
Mishra, however, denied the allegation and claimed that it was the police officer who misbehaved. He also accused Bag of being high-handed. “Earlier, I had called on the Union Minister and she told me to accompany her. I was in a vehicle that I was asked to board. However, the Inspector in-charge of Burla police station stopped our vehicle. When I asked for reason, he started misbehaving,” said Mishra. Refuting the allegation that he abused the police officer, Mishra said he would file a complaint against Bag.
This is not the first time that Mishra clashed with Sambalpur police. In 2013, a case was registered against him for allegedly assaulting a senior police officer during the Hanuman Jayanti procession in the city.
Similarly, he was arrested for brandishing sword defying prohibitory orders during the Hanuman Jayanti procession in the city last year.
Angul: Senior BJP leader Rudra Narayan Pani condemned police action on Jaynarayan Mishra. Speaking to mediapersons in Angul, Pani said police high-handedness was unwarranted. He added that Bharti spoke to the DGP on the issue and asked him to withdraw the case against Mishra.