PURI: Two factions of Biju Janata Dal engaged in a tussle here on Saturday during a rally marking the centenary of of Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Odisha. The rally from Puri railway station to a site near Gundicha temple was led by School and Mass Education Minister Samir Dash and BJD district president Maheswar Mohanty.
All of a sudden, Puri city BJD president Sabyasachi Mahapatra and state vice president of BJD’s youth wing Subhasis Khuntia and their supporters came face to face with them claiming success of the rally. For some time, both sides engaged in a scuffle.
Later Mohanty and Dash interevened and dispersed them. The party workers eventually reached the temple and participated in a public meeting at Saradhabali. The meeting was addressed by Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly, Surjya Narayan Patro, Puri MP Pinaki Mishra, local legislator of BJP Jayant Kumar Sarangi and Gandhian Gourang Parida. The leaders spoke on nonviolence and Mahatma’s other teachings.