BHUBANESWAR/PURI: In a major intelligence failure of Puri Police, activists showed black flags at the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s convoy near Atharnala while he was on his way to Puri on Saturday to review the heritage zone project.
While Puri Police was tipped off about a possible protest by the activists during the Chief Minister’s visit to the pilgrim town over the Bagala Dharmasala land sale, cops were caught unaware that the demonstrators would show up just 2.1 km away from the city.
The protesters - about a dozen youth Congress activists led by president Alok Das - suddenly came in front of the advance pilot of the Chief Minister’s cavalcade but were evacuated before he reached the spot.
It delayed movement for about three minutes. In the video which went viral, the protesters can be seen strolling in the middle of the road with black flags before fleeing after advance pilot’s personnel disembarked from their vehicles and intercepted them.
Sources said the Chief Minister was travelling in a SUV and his vehicle was at a distance when the activists staged the demonstration.
However, his vehicle had to slow down following the protests, they added. Some protesters managed to stay on the road till Naveen’s car, cavalcade’s fire fighting vehicle and the ambulance, which travelled behind his vehicle, crossed the site. The protesters demonstrated after 4.50 pm. Police rounded up 19 activists in this connection.
Further probe is on, said an officer of Puri Police. Apart from the route lining force deployed by Puri Police, the Chief Minister’s personnel also rushed to the spot to evacuate the protesters.
In a second such incident near Jagannath Ballav along the Grand Road, about fifty student Congress activists displayed black flag and shouted slogans against sale of Bagala Dharmshala, atrocities against women, Chhatua irregularities and unemployment. Police detained president of Ashutosh Mishra and Debasis Daitapati among 12 activists.