Berhampur (Odisha), Aug 25 (PTI) Ruling BJD supporters on Friday attacked Odisha MLA and expelled party leader Pradeep Panigrahi's car when he was on the way to attend a public meeting of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's private secretary VK Pandian in Ganjam district.

Pandian, a controversial IAS officer of the 2000 batch, has been accused by the opposition Congress and the BJP of violating the All India Service Rules for bureaucrats and acting like a politician.

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The supporters of ruling BJD and Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi faced each other in Lanjipalli area while the latter was proceeding to attend the meeting at Kanishi under his Gopalpur constituency, in which people will seek redressal of their grievances.

Panigrahi, who was expelled from the BJD for "anti-party activities", was a known critic of Pandian who began his three-day visit to Ganjam district on Friday.

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After stopping his car, BJD supporters pelted it with stones, eggs and water bottles and "some of them also attempted to climb my vehicle,” Panigrahi said in an e-mail to the chief minister while remaining stranded at Lanjipali area.

Panigrahi claimed that he had informed the district SP and others to ensure that he could have a safe visit to his constituency.

Though Paniraghi could not make it to Pandian's meeting, he later visited his constituency.

“I was going to attend the meeting and not to oppose it. I wanted to witness how the official is holding a grievance meeting in my constituency,“ said the MLA.

The MLA alleged that though he informed the authorities in advance, there was no such security for him, a people's representative while as many as 4000 police personnel were deployed to provide security to a bureaucrat.

Panigrahi told reporters: “I appealed to the chief minister to come out of his house and see how his rule is going on. Is a democratic government functioning in the state, or a bureaucrat-centric government is functioning?”

Panigrahi, a three-time MLA from Gopalpur and a former minister, was expelled from BJD in November 2020 activities after he landed in trouble for his alleged links with dismissed Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, Abhay Kant Pathak, whose son Akash, also arrested by the vigilance for allegedly abetting his father's offence.

The Gopalpur MLA was also arrested by the Crime Branch Police for alleged forgery, fraud and criminal conspiracy.

The BJP also put up a blockade near Tulu Road protesting against the visit of Pandian. Police detained several protesters.

Berhampur SP Saravan Vivek M said the police will register a case against the persons who blockaded National Highway 16.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)