A Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra vehicle (the Information, Education and Communication van) was attacked by unidentified miscreants on Friday in Odisha for the second time within 48 hours.

On Wednesday, another Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra vehicle was attacked in Dhamnagar constituency in Bhadra district.

This time the attack on the vehicle took place in the Athagarh Assembly constituency in Cuttack district, a stronghold of Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The miscreants broke down the LED attached to the vehicle and ripped down the posters.

The miscreants also beat up the driver and co-ordinator of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle Chakradhar Muduli said: “The programme was about to start when two people came on a motorcycle and started abusing us. They questioned why the vehicle came to their area and who had given permission for the vehicle to enter the area. Soon they attacked the vehicle and broke down the LED. When we protested, they also beat us mercilessly.”

Muduli said: “Even after we pleaded with them that we won’t do the programme here, they did not even spare us. They hurled stones at the vehicle and completely damaged the vehicle. They also attacked us with bamboo canes. They broke two LEDs and damaged the front glass of the vehicle. All the flexes carrying the photos of different programmes and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were also ripped down.”

Abhay Dehuri, the Rath Co-ordinator said “ When we started moving from the place, they chased us for nearly half a kilometre and continued to abuse us in filthy language. Later we reached the police station.”

Block Development Officer, Athagarh Pradeep Kumar Sahu told The Telegraph: “We have lodged an FIR. The attack on the vehicle took place at Sathilo. With the police escort, we are planning to take the vehicle from Athagarh to Bhubaneswar.”

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp vehicles are moving across the state to make the public aware of the different public welfare schemes of the Modi government. However, the Opposition is apprehensive that through the programme, the BJP plans to reach to the people.

Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15th on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in Jharkhand. Dhamnagar BJP MLA Suryabanshi Suraj Sthitaprajna alleged that the attack was orchestrated by the people belonging to the BJD.