Politics over police-villagers clash begins

--BJP, Cong visit Keonjhar village

 
BHUBANESWAR: Four days after the violent clash between the police and villagers of Belabahali in Keonjhar over the construction of a proposed bridge on the Kosei River, opposition parties Congress and BJP made a beeline to the village to take stock of the situation. 
 

On Saturday, leaders of the BJP led by party’s State president KV Singh Deo arrived at the village to show their solidarity to the villagers who have been protesting the bridge on the river.   

The leaders met the villagers and then staged a meeting in the village to hear from the people about their problems after the clash. The villagers demanded early release of their people who were arrested by the police on June 7 in connection with the police-mob clash. 

Singh Deo said the police have arrested 113 people and sent them to jail in the case. “If the State Government does not release the arrested persons immediately, we will set out a foot-march (padyatra) from Belabahali to Bhubaneswar to gherao Naveen Niwas,” he added.

Similarly, a Congress team led by Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan had visited the place on Friday.

The Congress leaders said the agitation would be intensified if the State Government fails to pay attention to the demands of villagers.    

“The State Government should listen to the ordeal of villagers of four panchayats about the location of the bridge over the Kosei river. If the State doesn’t pay heed to their demands, we will intensify the agitation not only in Keonjhar but also in the State Assembly,” said Harichandan to the media.

Meanwhile, BJD leader and Rural Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra said the whole district wants the bridge to be built at the notified land opposed by the Belabahali village. “The bridge was notified during Congress regime. Why the Congress leaders, who are shedding crocodile tears for the villagers now, didn’t inform their Government to change the location then,” asked Patra.