Bhubaneswar: Opposition parties on Tuesday demanded the immediate arrest of governor Raghubar Das’s son and his associates for allegedly assaulting govt officer Baikuntha Pradhan, who was transferred on Monday, and accused the BJP govt of shielding the culprits. BJP, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
BJD spokesperson Lekhashree Samantasinghar told a news conference that the BJP is protecting the culprits by unfair means.“The victim who has been assaulted has been transferred while the culprits are still at large. Is it justice?” she asked.
She said the BJP govt does not value “Odia Asmita”. “An Odia govt officer was assaulted by a person from Jharkhand and the BJP is taking no action. It is proof that they (BJP) are less concerned about the safety and dignity of the Odia people,” claimed Lekhashree.
Youth Congress and NSUI members, on the other hand, staged a protest once again in front of Raj Bhavan here seeking justice for Baikuntha. Youth Congress members threatened they will not withdraw their protest until justice is assured.
“His (Baikuntha’s) wife has lodged a police complaint and claimed their lives are in danger. Instead of providing them safety, BJP is protecting the culprits,” said Yasir Nawaz, president of the state NSUI unit.
Countering the allegations, BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra said the opposition parties are trying to exploit the situation for their own political gains. “The wife of the officer said she has faith in the justice system and withdrew the complaint,” he said.
The incident has become a talking point on social media with several posts seeking justice for Baikuntha and his family uploaded on Tuesday.

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