Bhubaneswar: As the first phase of the three-tier Panchayat Polls in Odisha witnessed several incidents of violence in different parts of the State, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan condemned the mishaps.
Pradhan also slammed the ruling party BJD for allegedly unleashing violence and urged the State Election Commission (SEC) to take strict action against the perpetrators.
ରାଜ୍ୟରେ ତ୍ରିସ୍ତରୀୟ ପଞ୍ଚାୟତ ନିର୍ବାଚନର ପ୍ରଥମ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟାୟ ମତଦାନ ଶେଷ ହୋଇଛି । ତୃଣମୂଳ ସ୍ତରରେ ଭୋଟ୍ ଦେବା ପାଇଁ ଗ୍ରାମବାସୀଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଅଭୂତପୂର୍ବ ଉତ୍ସାହ ଦେଖାଯାଇଛି । ଏହା ଆମର ଗଣତନ୍ତ୍ର ପାଇଁ ଏକ ଶୁଭ ସଙ୍କେତ ।
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) February 16, 2022
ଆଜି ଧର୍ମଶାଳା, ଯାଜପୁର, ବ୍ରହ୍ମଗିରି, ଅନୁଗୋଳ, ହିନ୍ଦୋଳ, ଭଦ୍ରକ, କଣାସ, ଜଳେଶ୍ୱର, ବାଙ୍ଗିରିପୋଷୀ, ଭଟଲି ଓ ପାଟଣାଗଡ଼ ସମେତ ରାଜ୍ୟର ବିଭିନ୍ନ ସ୍ଥାନରେ ନିର୍ବାଚନୀ ହିଂସା ଘଟିଥିବା ଗଣମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ପ୍ରକାଶ ପାଇଛି । ଏହା ପୂର୍ବରୁ ରାଜ୍ୟର ବିଭିନ୍ନ ସ୍ଥାନରେ ପ୍ରାକ୍ ନିର୍ବାଚନୀ ହିଂସା ମଧ୍ୟ ଘଟିଛି । ଏହା ଚିନ୍ତାଜନକ ଓ ଦୁଃଖଦାୟକ ।
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) February 16, 2022
In a series of tweets in Odia, the Union Minister said, “Poll violence has reportedly erupted in various parts of the State today, including Dharamsala, Jajpur, Brahmagiri, Angul, Hindol, Bhadrak, Kanas, Jaleswar, Bangiriposhi, Bhatli and Patnagarh. Pre-election violence has also occurred at several places of the State. It’s sad and worrying.”
“The first phase of the three-tier panchayat elections in the State has come to an end. There has been unprecedented enthusiasm among villagers to cast their vote at the grassroots level. This is a good sign for our democracy,” Pradhan said.
“Violence should not be interrupted by this great festival of democracy. I strongly condemn the violence and anarchy of the ruling party. The State administration should do its job well and do justice to the people,” he added.
The first phase of the three-tier Panchayat Polls in Odisha, which was held on Wednesday, witnessed several incidents of violence in different parts of the State, exposing serious lapses in the security arrangements during the crucial rural body elections.
In one such incident reported from Krushnaprasad block in Puri district, as many as 40 people were injured, including 17 seriously, after miscreants hurled bombs at booth no-IV in Alanda Panchayat in an attempt to capture the booth.
