Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 30 : Opposition parties in Odisha strongly condemned the assault on Ratnakar Sahoo, Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), and demanded strict action against the guilty. BJP leaders also condemned the incident, and the police assured that firm action would be taken.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his deep shock at "brutal kicking and assault" of Ratnakar Sahoo and called upon Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to take immediate and exemplary action against the guilty, including "political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack".
DCP Headquarters, Prakash Chandra Pal, said that action will be taken against those who are involved in this incident.
"All those involved will be arrested... Two teams have been formed and are investigating," he told ANI.
Patnaik said on X that the official was "dragged from his office and brutally kicked" and attached a video.
"I am utterly shocked seeing this video. Today, Shri Ratnakar Sahoo, OAS Additional Commissioner, BMC, a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary was dragged from his office and brutally kicked and assaulted in front of a BJP Corporator, allegedly linked to a defeated BJP MLA Candidate," Patnaik said.
The BJD leader said what is more appalling is that this happened in broad daylight, in the heart of the capital city to a senior officer while he was in his office, hearing grievances of people.
Hitting out at the BJP government in the state, he said, "If a senior officer is not safe in his own office, then what law and order will ordinary citizens expect from the Government?".
"I ask @MohanMOdisha Ji to take immediate and exemplary action against not only those who purported but more importantly the political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack. The people named by the officer in his FIR have behaved like criminals," he said.
Patnaik said the government should ensure immediate action.
"I only hope that Shri Majhi directs immediate action to be taken to restore faith in his government and not allow this heinous act to go unpunished like the assault on an officer by the ex-Governor's son. The people of Odisha will not forgive this," he said.
BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo also slammed the state government over the incident.
"A senior OAS Officer has been beaten brutally by the BJP miscreants at the behest of some senior leaders. If such things happen at the state secretariat, this means there is no law and order situation in the state and the situation is deteriorating by the day due to the patronage of this government. Since the last one year, we have been seeing miscreants targeting common people and the opposition workers... The conspirators must be arrested," he said.
Congress also condemned the incident, with party MP Saptagiri Ulaka slamming the state government over the law and order situation.
"In the video, we can see a BJP Corporator along with his goons assaulting an Additional Commissioner of BMC. We have been raising this issue of gunda raj in Odisha for a year now. This is happening everywhere. The BJP is not able to handle the law and order situation and administration. The Chief Minister should take cognisance of this incident and take action," Saptagiri Ulaka said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi condemned the assault on Ratnakar Sahoo.
She said such behaviour goes against the values of the Bharatiya Janata Party and that the law would take its course in the matter.
"We are proud of the ideology of Bharatiya Janata Party. This kind of behaviour is certainly not in line with the philosophy/ideology of the Party. I condemn this behaviour towards a Government Officer on Duty. The Law will take its course," she said in a post on Facebook.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders and workers staged a protest in Bhubaneswar on Monday, following the assault on Ratnakar Sahoo, the Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), inside his office.