A Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra vehicle (the Information, Education and Communication van) was attacked by unidentified miscreants on Wednesday in the Dhamnagar Assembly constituency in Bhadrak district.
The miscreants also ripped down the posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi displayed on the vehicle. Police, though tight-lipped on the issue, detained two persons in this connection.
The Viksit Bharat Sankalp vehicles are moving across the state to take the public welfare schemes of the Modi government to the people. Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15 on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in Jharkhand.
Demanding action against the culprits, BJP workers gathered at the local Dhamnagar police station, about 140km from the state’s capital, Bhubaneswar.
Dhamnagar BJP MLA Suryabanshi Suraj Sthitaprajna said: “After the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra vehicle reached here, a meeting was organised here. A large number of people including women were present. A health check-up programme was also organised. Soon after programmes started with the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra vehicle showing various programmes of the Centre on its screen.
“A programme on drones was about to be shown when a group of people suddenly attacked the vehicle and people present there.”
Suryabanshi said: “They did not even spare the vehicle. They damaged the vehicle and ripped down the posters attached to it. Though police were present it failed to take any action. As my security staff was there with me, the miscreants failed to target me.”
Targeting the BJD, he said: “It seems the attack was orchestrated by the people belonging to the BJD. On Tuesday, we raised the issue of the safety of the vehicles with the local Block Development Officer. Later we took up the issue with the Project Director (PD) of Bhadrak district. We had apprehended that such an attack could take place.”
Suryavanshi, a first-time MLA, won the Dhamnagar Assembly seat in a by-poll in November 2022. He is known for his tough stand against the BJD.
Till the filing of the report, the MLA was there inside the police station demanding action against the accused.
The BJD is yet to react on the issue.
