Bhubaneswar, Sep 6 (PTI) The row over the idea of renaming Ravenshaw University in Cuttack intensified after police booked a BJD MLA and two party leaders for their alleged involvement in a group clash.

The trio - BJD MLA Byomkesh Roy and party leaders Lenin Mohanty and Akram Khan (alias Bobby) - were charged for their role in a group clash during a student torch rally on Wednesday.

Also Read | US Horror: Woman 'Sells' Teenage Daughter to 31-Year-Old Man for Sex in Exchange for Money and Drugs in Pennsylvania, Arrested.

On Thursday night, Malgodown police in Cuttack registered the case based on a written complaint filed by a research scholar of the university's statistics department.

The complaint stated that a scuffle broke out between two groups near the university's main gate during the rally, with some students claiming they were manhandled by outsiders on the campus.

Also Read | RG Kar Hospital 'Financial Irregularities' Case: Sandip Ghosh's Plea Against CBI Probe To Be Heard in Supreme Court Today.

The opposition BJD strongly condemned the complaint against its leaders. The party argued that the rally was organised peacefully and asserted that no participants entered the university campus.

"The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) vehemently condemns the false and unfounded FIRs against our esteemed party leaders Byomkesh Roy, MLA, Dr. Lenin Mohanty, and Akram Khan (Bobby Khan) in connection with the recent protests at Ravenshaw University," the BJD stated.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had suggested on August 31 that Ravenshaw University, named after a British bureaucrat, be renamed. He, however, clarified it was his personal opinion.

The issue sparked a heated debate in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday, with both the ruling BJP and the opposition BJD and Congress exchanging sharp remarks.

(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)