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Odisha MLA’s car runs into crowd, 24 injured
While the Chilika MLA Prashant Jagdev, 52, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, five of the injured are said to be critical.
At least 24 people, including seven police officials, were injured as a suspended Biju Janata Dal MLA ploughed his car into a crowd of Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Khurda district of Odisha on Saturday morning, prompting an angry crowd to attack the MLA.
While the Chilika MLA Prashant Jagdev, 52, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, five of the injured are said to be critical. The MLA was suspended from the BJD in September last year after a video of him slapping a Dalit BJP leader went viral.
According to an official, at least 200 BJP workers assembled at the Banapur panchayat samiti’s office for the election of a new chairperson on Saturday morning. Jagdev reached the office to check on the election activity, the officials said, adding that the police present at the spot and the BJP workers tried to stop him from entering the premises as the elections were about to begin.
Banapur inspector-in-chargeRashmi Ranjan Sahoo tried to reason with the MLA, said inspector general of police (central range) Narasingha Bhol.
“Instead of listening to the inspector, Jagdev ran the SUV over him, an old man and a woman. The police inspector has suffered a fracture while the old woman received serious injuries,” Bhol said.
The injured include 15 BJP workers, a worker of the BJD and seven police officials, an investigator said.
Recounting the incident, a BJP worker, Manimala Nayak, said that the police personnel tried to stop the MLA’s car and over a dozen women stood around it. “We thought he would stop the vehicle. But instead he just ran us over. We had no time to escape,” the woman said.
A local in the area alleged that the MLA was drunk at the time of the incident. “He was definitely intoxicated when the incident happened,” said Arun Kumar Nayak. The police, however, said no alcohol was found in his blood.
Five of the injured are in a critical condition, Bhol said. “Five of the injured, including inspector of Banapur police station, have been critically wounded.”
Following the incident, the enraged locals dragged Jagdev out of his car and thrashed him, officials said. The angry crowd also set his car Land Rover Discoveryon fire, officials said.
“We are keeping a close eye on the situation,” IGP Bhol said.
A political row has erupted in the district after the incident, with opposition parties demanding Jagdev’s arrest.
“He is a habitual offender and has been using strong arm tactics as he was with the BJD,” BJP leader Prithwiraj Harichandan said.
The incident shows how the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated, Congress MLA from BolangirNarasingha Mishra said. “Before and after panchayat poll, there has been a series of violence in Odisha, mostly by goons of the ruling BJD. Today’s incident is only a part of the growing trend of lawlessness,” he said.
Condemning the incident, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said there is no place for violence in a democracy. “Such an action of Jagdev is unfortunate and we strongly condemn it. We believe the police and administration will take stringent action against the accused,” he said.
The two-time MLA has been booked in at least 10 cases in the last six years, and faces charges including attempt to outrage the modesty of a woman, criminal intimidation, theft and offences against the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
The BJD’s Khurda MLA, however, defended Jagdev, saying BJP workers should not have tried to stop his vehicle. “He tried to steer his vehicle out of the crowd when the incident happened. It could be a case of accident,” BJD’s Jitu Mitra said.
An attempt to murder case has been filed against Jagdev at the Banapur police station. “A DSP-level officer has been asked to probe the case,” the IGP said. Jagdev will be arrested after he recovers from his injuries, he added.
The incident has come months after four farmers and a journalist were killed when a car said to be owned by Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra’s son, Ashish Mishra, ran over them during the farmer’s protest in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri last year. Three other people were killed in the violence that ensued.
(With agency inputs)
