The BJP will launch a State-wide agitation on Tuesday to protest the firing at the house of party activist at Padagaon in Bijepur. This was decided at an emergent meeting of the party chaired by party president Basanta Panda. Accusing ruling BJD of trying to instill fear in the minds of people in the constituency ahead of the byelection, the BJP said it will not be cowed down by violent activities spons o red by the St a t e Government.
“As many as 14 BJP workers have been killed by the ruling party activists in the last three and half years and the Odisha Police have done nothing to arrest the criminals involved in those murder cases. The firing incident in Bijepur is a well thought out plan of BJD to silence BJP workers. The BJP will fight it out democratically by taking up the issue to the people,” State BJP general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra told reporters after the meeting. National BJP general secretary Arun Singh, who is here on a twoday visit, said the Bijepur incident is the panic reaction of the ruling party which is fast losing it popularity.
“Fearing defeat in the Bijepur bypoll which will be announced anytime soon, the BJD has resorted to violence. The ruling party had resorted to similar violent activities during the election to the three-tier panchayati raj election in the State last year,” Singh said on his arrival here. Baxipatra said attack on BJP leaders visiting Bargarh district has become a common feature. Union Ministers Santosh Gangwar and Niranjan Jyoti and former chief minister of Jharkhand Arjun Munda were attacked during their visit to Bargarh districts.
The party has decided to take the issue to the people by staging demonstration in all the district headquarters of the State on Tuesday to protest Bijepur firing. A delegation of the BJP led by Panda also submitted a memorandum to Additional Chief Secretary Home Asit Tripathy demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the firing and protection to Manoranjan Meher whose house was attacked.
