BHUBANESWAR: Protesting the rising hooliganism of the BJD and failure of the State Police in maintaining law and order during the election, the BJP requested Chief Electoral Officer to ensure that the polls are conducted in a free and fair manner.
A delegation of the BJP led by vice-president Samir Mohanty met the CEO and requested him to direct the police to act impartially in such cases. Giving a list of violent incidents in which BJP workers were either killed or attempts were made on their lives by goons of the ruling BJD, the delegation said police miserably failed to perform its duty.
Though two leaders of the BJP, Manguli Jena of Khurda and Ramachandra Behera of Ghasipura, were brutally murdered by anti-socials owing allegiance to local BJD MLAs, police are yet to arrest the culprits.
Alleging that the police is acting in a partisan manner, the BJP delegation said miscreants who attacked party candidate Jagannath Pradhan in the city are moving freely. Apprehending threat to the lives of the BJP candidates contesting in the fourth phase of election, they urged the CEO to provide adequate security to them.
BJP’s State vice-president Ramaranjan Baliarsingh and State secretary Lekhashri Samantsinghar were part of the delegation.