Odisha BJP Suspends Members Over BMC Office Assault Scandal

In a significant political development, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Odisha branch suspended five members on Tuesday due to their suspected participation in a violent incident at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office. The turmoil centered around an attack on Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo that occurred the previous day, sparking widespread condemnation.

The suspended individuals include Corporator Aparup Narayan Raut, Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Debashish Pradhan, Sachikanth Swain, and Sanjeev Mishra. The BJP's swift disciplinary action follows pressure from the BJP's state unit chief Manmohan Samal, responding to allegations of these leaders' connections to the BMC office violence.

The incident has not only prompted internal party discipline but has also drawn sharp criticism from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Patnaik described the assault as a "brutal kicking" and emphasized the need for immediate and exemplary action against those responsible. Three people have been arrested in connection to the assault, with further investigations ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)