Padma Mohanty
Khordha | BJP Mandal President Manguli Jena was fired two rounds of bullets outside the BJP’s party office in the Nabina Baag area of Khordha district of Odisha. The incident happened late on Sunday night.
On Sunday late night, the BJP supporters were having a meeting, after the meeting Kalu Khandayatra (He is BJP’s MLA candidate from Khordha district) and Manguli Jena were leaving for their home just when two assailants came in a scooty and opened fired three rounds of bullets; two were on Manguli Jena and one on Kalu Khandayatra. But Kalu Khandayatra escaped the hilarious attack unhurt. Soon Manguli Jena was rushed to the Khordha District Headquarters Hospital where the doctors declared him “brought dead”. The actual reason for this attack is still not known, but the BJP suspects it as a political rivalry. BJP is suspecting BJD’s involvement in this murder. After the incident, the police instantly sealed the entire Khordha town and started investigating by putting raids at various places in the town to catch the two assailants.
The police said they are investigating the murder but the reason can be related to the upcoming elections or fallout of past rivalry. They have assigned this case to a special team, quick and strong actions are being expected by them.
According to Kalu Khandayatra who was standing near Manguli Jena said, he could not see the faces of the assailants, the one who fired was a thin man; both of them had covered their faces with helmets; they fired two rounds of bullets on Manguli Jena and one round him but the bullet just passed by his hands without hurting him. He says that actually their target was he himself but the assailants fired on Manguli. He is suspecting BJD’s hands in this murder. He said BJD has shown another instance of their ‘Gunda Raaj’.
Following this incident, the BJP workers on Monday called for a 6 hours bandh in Khordha between 8 am to 2 pm. All the shops were closed and no vehicles were running.
The BJP’s candidate for the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency; Aparajita Sarangi said, “It is extremely sad and shocking to learn about the brutal murder of Manguli Jena, Mandal president of the BJP’s Khordha zone. The deteriorating law and order situation in the State has reached an all-time low. There was a rape and murder of a four-year-old girl child in Jatni on Saturday and now this ghastly murder in Khordha.”
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said, “There is no place for violence in democracy. I condemn the violence in Khordha and express my condolences to the bereaved family members. I request the Election Commission to direct State police to take the matter seriously and initiate strong action so that a heinous crime like this does not happen again.”
The Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan slammed this incident and said, “We have to respond to his death not by the bullet, but by ballot. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen babu is shedding crocodile tears. The incident like this in a democracy is condemnable.” He accused the state police of working under the orders of the Odisha CM; the state police is supporting the goons. He also said that the ruling party should not use its power for this election; the election process should be completed in a fair manner.
PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the state tomorrow for campaigning. Seeing this type of situation in Odisha, the security arrangement should be very tight.
Odisha is undergoing both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The first phase of the election is already completed on April 11th and the remaining three phases are to be held on April 18th, April 23rd and on April 29th. The results will be declared on 23rd May.
