Bhubaneswar: Alleging role of Odisha`s ruling BJD in violence and attack on a woman police personnel during Thursday`s rally as part of a conspiracy, Congress on Sunday threatened to take steps if police fail to register cases on the FIRs lodged by the party.
"A statement of a senior Odisha minister shows some BJD men had been sent to mingle in the crowd during our rally to trigger violence as part of a conspiracy in order to defame us," media cell chief of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), Narasingh Mishra told reporters here.
He said the minister, who also happens to be a vice president of BJD, had told the media that some people raised slogans in favour of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the ruling BJD during Congress rally.
"In view of the minister`s statement, we suspect that BJD had hatched a conspiracy and sent its workers to indulge in violence. It was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of Congress," Mishra said.
It is now clear that the same BJD men had attacked the woman police personnel while a couple of Congress workers saved the lady cop and took her away, the Congress leader alleged and said, the police woman was perhaps deployed at the site deliberately to create trouble.
Refuting the allegation, senior BJD leader and health minister Damodar Rout said Congress, which is under attack for September 6 violence, should not blame BJD.
Both Mishra and PCC President Niranjan Patnaik hit out at the government and police for deploying the woman cop even after declaring the assembly of Congress supporters as unlawful. "According to law, only male police personnel are used to disperse unlawful assembly," they said.
Alleging a conspiracy behind sending the lady cop for creating trouble, Mishra said only an independent and impartial investigation can unravel the truth.
Accusing the ruling BJD of trying to suppress democratic processes by using police force, the senior Congress leader said while leaders of the opposition parties are being booked in frivolous cases but higher ups and and those in power are allowed to go scot-free.
Lashing out at the chief minister for deployment of the police woman at rally venue on MG Road, Mishra said Patnaik, who also holds home portfolio, should explain as to why the woman was allowed to be present during the move to disperse "unlawful" assembly.
"The very action shows the BJD government has little respect for law and it is a violator of all legal provisions," he said wanting to know as to why no action has been taken against the police officer who sent the lady cop into crowd.
Taking exception to certain remark reportedly made by the DGP about rallyists, he said the police chief should apologise for his "objectionable and indecent" comments which should not come from a man holding such a high office.
On DGP`s claim that no lathicharge had been ordered during the Congress rally, Mishra said all including TV channels had clearly shown how the cops were mercilessly beating up people. "If there was no lathicharge, is the DGP taking action against policemen who used batons against the crowd?" he asked.
PTI
