In a significant disciplinary move, the Odisha BJP has suspended five party leaders, including three councillors, in connection with the recent violence at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office. The action, announced on July 1 by State BJP President Manmohan Samal, comes amid growing public outrage and political pressure following a viral video of a senior officer being assaulted inside his office.
Who has been suspended?
The following BJP leaders have been suspended from the party’s primary membership:
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Aparup Narayan Raut
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Rashmi Ranjan Mahapatra
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Debashish Pradhan
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Sachikant Swain
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Sanjeev Mishra
All are facing allegations of involvement in the assault on Ratnakar Sahu, Additional Commissioner of BMC, who is a senior OAS officer.
What happened?
The incident occurred amid tensions between BJP councillors and BMC officials. According to reports, Ratnakar Sahu was dragged out of his office and brutally beaten, allegedly in the presence of BJP members. The attack led to mass condemnation, including from the opposition BJD and the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association, which briefly planned a state-wide protest before calling it off after government intervention.
The Bhubaneswar Police have already arrested three accused in the case, including:
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Jeevan Raut, BJP councillor from Ward 29
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Rashmi Mahapatra
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Debashish Pradhan
Opposition Demands and Political Fallout
Former Chief Minister and opposition leader Naveen Patnaik condemned the attack, calling it “brutal and shameful”. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he demanded exemplary punishment for those involved and highlighted the collapse of law and order in the state capital.
The BJP’s swift action appears to be a damage-control measure following public outrage and a political backlash, particularly after the viral video sparked widespread criticism.
