Prohibitory Orders Imposed in Bhadrak Amid BJP-BJD Clashes

The district administration in Bhadrak, Odisha, has enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC following clashes between BJP and BJD workers. The restrictions will remain until the end of polling on Saturday. This measure was taken after an attack on BJP Yuva Morcha’s Odisha unit president Abhilas Panda and his associates.

The district administration of Odisha’s Bhadrak has imposed prohibitory orders in all assembly segment areas till the end of polling on Saturday, following reports of clashes between workers of the BJP and BJD, officials said.

Restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC came into force from Thursday night and will continue till 6 pm, when voting in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the eastern state concludes, they said.

The section includes a ban on unlawful assembly of five or more people.

The move comes after Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha’s Odisha unit president Abhilas Panda, and six of his associates were attacked allegedly by workers of the ruling BJD on Thursday evening in Chandbali assembly segment under Bhadrak Lok Sabha constituency, police said.

Panda and the six party workers are undergoing treatment in hospital, a police officer said.

Chandbali block BJP president Kamala Sutar said the party has lodged an FIR and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits.

Bainsada police station officer-in-charge Debaraj Jena said three persons have been detained in connection with the attack, but no case has yet been registered against them. Further investigation is underway.