Bhubaneswar, June 13: Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Sharad Yadav was heckled by a large group of protesters on his arrival here this afternoon, police said. Yadav, who arrived on a three-day visit to Orissa, was greeted with 'down, down and go back' slogans as about 100 persons surrounded his car at the airport. Police said the protestors belonged to an organisation known as Orissa Dhana Chasi Surakhya Parishad and were protesting against refusal of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to purchase paddy from the farmers of the state. A small police party, which was present to escort him, and the CISF jawans deployed at the airport, were outnumbered by the demonstrators. The minister was pushed around in the crowd before the police managed to whisk him away from the spot.
No arrest had been made so far in connection with the incident, police said.
Yadav is scheduled to attend a civic reception here later this evening and had a programme to visit Bhadrak district tomorrow. Bureau Report