BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday initiated disciplinary action by suspending five party members, including a city corporator, for their alleged involvement in the assault on a senior official of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday.
BJP state president Manmohan Samal suspended Ward No. 29 Corporator Aparup Narayan Rout (also known as Jeevan Rout), along with Rashmi Ranjan Mahapatra, Debashis Pradhan, Sachikanta Swain, and Sanjeev Mishra from the party’s primary membership. The suspension follows allegations that they attacked senior Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer and BMC Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo during a public grievance hearing session.
In response to the incident, the Odisha Administrative Service Association had earlier announced plans to go on mass leave from Tuesday in protest. However, the association has decided to temporarily defer the move following an assurance from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi that strict action will be taken against all individuals involved.
Association president Jyoti Ranjan Mishra stated that the Chief Minister has assured them that no one involved in the incident regardless of political influence will be spared and that the strongest provisions of law will be invoked. “On the appeal of the Chief Minister, the association has decided not to proceed with the mass leave. However, the plan for leave from July 1 is not cancelled but postponed,” Mishra added.
The incident took place on Monday morning when Sahoo was reportedly kicked, punched, and forcibly dragged out of the BMC office by a group allegedly linked to local BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan. Sahoo, in a formal complaint lodged with Kharvela Nagar police, claimed he was manhandled and assaulted in the presence of Corporator Rout.
Following the complaint, police registered an FIR and arrested three individuals Aparup Narayan Rout, Rashmi Ranjan Mahapatra, and Debashis Pradhan. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend others involved in the assault.