Political Turmoil Erupts: BJD Protest Over Student's Death Turns Violent

Chaos erupted in Odisha as BJD workers, protesting the alleged mishandling of a student's death case, clashed with police near the state secretariat. The protestors, including two ex-ministers, pushed past barricades, prompting police to use water cannons and tear gas.

Injured party leaders Pranab Prakash Das and Priti Ranjan Gharai were hospitalized following the fracas. The motive behind the BJD's dramatic protests was a demand for a judicial probe into the tragic incident of a college student setting herself ablaze in Balasore.

In light of the unrest, security was ramped up in Bhubaneswar's key government sectors. Police Commissioner S Dev Datt Singh supervised the measures while access to the secretariat and other buildings was tightly controlled.

(With inputs from agencies.)