JAGATSINGHPUR: The intra-party rift in the district unit of BJD deepened further after police on Sunday arrested two local leaders of the ruling party for allegedly making casteist remarks against Tirtol MLA Bijay Sankar Das.
The arrests come a day after supporters of Das and Jagatsinghpur MP Rajshree Mallick engaged in a heated exchange at BJD's Jeevan Bindu Programme. The arrested persons are local party leaders Manoj Mohanty and Anil Khatua, both supporters of MP Mallick.
On Saturday, BJD had organised a blood donation camp at Purna Odapada village in Raghunathpur block under its flagship Jeevan Bindu Programme. Sources said many supporters of the MP were not invited to the event.
Miffed over being ignored by Das and his supporters, president of Agriculture Technology Management Agency and local BJD leader Premananda Swain along with party colleagues Mohanty and Khatua forcibly entered the blood donation camp venue and allegedly misbehaved with the Tirtol MLA, his private secretary Niranjan Sethy and security guard Samir Panda.
Following the incident, Sethy and Panda lodged a complaint with Raghunathpur police alleging that the trio made casteist remarks against the MLA. On the other hand, one of Das' rivals Sukuta Jena also filed an FIR against the MLA’s private secretary in the police station.
Raghunathpur IIC Debendra Mohapatra said police have registered two cases in this connection and arrested two of the accused persons. The other accused is absconding. Further investigation is on. The rift in the local BJD unit dates back to the days when Das’ father and former Tirtol MLA late Bishnu Das was in loggerheads with Mallick in a bid to control the party’s district organisation.
After his father’s demise, Das reportedly has carried forward the rivalry by ignoring BJD leaders who are loyal to the MP. Sources said supporters of Mallick are being deprived of various government works and are being deliberately ignored in important meetings and other events of BJD.