By News18
The Bharatiya Janata Party has suspended five leaders from the party鈥檚 primary membership over their alleged involvement in the assault of the Additional Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
BJP corporator Aparup Narayan Raut, Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Debashish Pradhan, Sachikanth Swain and Sanjeev Mishra have been suspended.
Two BJP leaders鈥 Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra and Debashis Pradhan鈥 among three have been arrested by the police in connection with the violence against Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahu.
Condemning the incident, BMC Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said that the administration will assess how such incidents can be averted in the future.
鈥淭he incident has been condemned by one and all. Three people have been arrested, police are behind other culprits. All necessary action was taken, and we are getting support from the police. We will be assessing how such incidents can be averted in future鈥 People are in shock,鈥 he said.
During a grievance hearing session on Monday, a group of young men physically assaulted Ratnakar Sahu and forcefully dragged him out of his office.
The person who鈥檚 being kicked & punched is the Additional Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation. The persons beating him are BJP leaders. Achhedin in Odisha. @zoo_bear @Amockx2022 @rohini_sgh @RoflGandhi_ pic.twitter.com/CPRNIhxe2N
鈥 Satya Pati (@SatyaPrPati) June 30, 2025
Political Slugfest Over Assault
Following the violence, opposition parties, Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD), have launched attacks on the BJP government over the law and order situation in Odisha.
The BJD alleged that the attack took place in the presence of BJP corporator Jeevan Raut and Jagannath Pradhan, a BJP MLA candidate in the 2024 polls, is the mastermind of the assault.
In a post on X, the BJD wrote, 鈥淭he law and order situation in the state is in disarray, the double-engine government of Odisha is failing miserably. A group of 6/7 goon-like individuals entered the BMC office and brutally attacked the Additional Commissioner. This incident occurred in the presence of BJP corporator Jeevan Raut. It is alleged that the defeated BJP MLA candidate Jagannath Pradhan was behind this incident.鈥
The Congress party strongly condemned the alleged attack on Ratnakar Sahu, the Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, calling it the 鈥渏ungle raj鈥 of the BJP, where criminals are openly indulging in 鈥渢huggery鈥.
The party claimed that BJP leader Aparupa Raut and his supporters allegedly beat up Sahu and even tried to kidnap him.
In a post on X, the Congress party shared a video and wrote, 鈥淚n Bhubaneswar, Odisha, BJP leader Aparupa Raut, along with his goons, is beating up the Additional Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation. An attempt was also made to kidnap Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahu. Somehow, the Commissioner managed to save his life. This is the jungle raj of the BJP, where criminals are openly indulging in thuggery.鈥
BJD chief and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also expressed his deep shock at 鈥渂rutal kicking and assault鈥 of the official and called upon Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to take immediate and exemplary action against the guilty, including 鈥減olitical leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack.鈥
Meanwhile, BJP鈥檚 Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi also condemned the assault on Sahoo and said such behaviour goes against her party鈥檚 values and added that the law would take its own course.
In a Facebook post, Sarangi wrote, 鈥淲e are proud of the ideology of Bharatiya Janata Party. This kind of behaviour is certainly not in line with the philosophy/ideology of the Party.鈥
鈥淚 condemn this behaviour towards a Government Officer on Duty. The Law will take its course,鈥 the post further said.
Officials Threatened To Go On Mass Leave
The Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association had threatened to go on mass leave in protest against the assault. However, it later decided to postpone its planned mass leave following a meeting with CM Majhi, who assured that the culprits and perpetrators behind the attack would be strictly punished.