Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Nabin Jain allegedly fired gunshots into the air during a Ram Navami procession at Titilagarh in Odisha’s Balangir on Friday, prompting an inquiry. The videos of the incident went viral.
BJP lawmaker Nabin Jain denied any wrongdoing and claimed to have used a toy gun to energise the crowd. (Sourced)
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Opposition Biju Janata Dal leader Shyam Prasad Garia alleged that Jain fired shots at separate places and was seen brandishing the weapon before tucking it into his waist.
Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed Jain firing while surrounded by supporters. An aide is seen raising his hand during the firing.
Jain denied any wrongdoing and claimed to have used a toy gun to energise the crowd during the festive procession.
Police superintendent Himanshu Behera said a notice would be issued to Jain’s personal security officer, a licensed weapon holder. “An inquiry has been initiated to examine why he did not intervene during the firing. Action would be taken based on the findings of the inquiry,” he said.
Congress leader Birendra Bag said Titilagarh is known for communal harmony and peaceful celebrations. He called Jain’s actions highly condemnable, particularly in the presence of the public and police personnel. “What was the necessity of firing even blank shots during a religious procession?”
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
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