High drama unfolded in Baleshwar on Saturday evening as the Town Police detained Harekrishna Pradhan, the district president of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), during campaign activities for the upcoming student union elections.
The incident triggered severe backlash from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), with youth, students, and senior party leaders staging a sit-in protest on the police station premises, demanding justice and accusing the force of political bias.
According to reports, election campaigning was underway near the Commerce Block of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College when police arrived to enforce election conduct rules. Officers dispersed non-student activists and campaign members from the campus. However, BJD leaders alleged that while police forcibly removed BCJD members and Mr. Pradhan, they allowed leaders from rival political parties to continue campaigning unabated.
The situation escalated around 7:20 PM into a heated argument when police personnel allegedly used abusive language against Mr. Pradhan before bundling him into a police vehicle and bringing him to the Baleshwar Town Police Station.
As news of the detention spread, dozens of youth and student wing leaders—along with several veteran BJD figures—assembled inside the police station compound. The protesters raised slogans against the local police administration, describing the detention as unprovoked, unlawful, and partisan.
“Picking up a student leader right at the beginning of the campaign process, right after the nomination and withdrawal phases, is highly unfair and unfortunate,” a protesting BJD representative stated.
By the time of reporting, the sit-in demonstration inside the police station remained ongoing. The Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) and senior police officials have declined to comment on the matter.
