New Delhi, July 1: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha strongly condemned the recent assault on Ratnakar Sahoo, Additional Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), and questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would acknowledge the incident as an example of “jungle raj.”
Jha criticized what he called a “selective” response to law and order issues across states. “I want to see if the PM and Amit Shah ji consider this incident to be ‘jungle raj’ or not. There should not be a cock-eyed view. If such an incident occurs in any state, it must be viewed as a sign of anarchy,” he said.
His remarks follow a shocking assault that occurred inside a BMC office during a grievance redressal meeting on Monday, where some miscreants allegedly attacked Ratnakar Sahoo.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Vice President Prasanna Acharya also condemned the attack, calling it “unprecedented” and “unpardonable.” “How could such a thing happen in the capital itself, in a government office? This has created outrage not just among officials, but across the country,” he said, urging the government to act decisively.
Following the incident, Commissionerate Police arrested three individuals and launched an investigation.
In response to the assault, the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) Association initially planned a mass leave protest. However, the association postponed the action after an urgent late-night meeting with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, held at 11 PM on Tuesday.
The meeting was also attended by the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), Commissioner of Police (CP), and Advocate General (AG). CM Majhi assured strict action against all individuals involved, including those behind the scenes.