V. K. Pandian, Odisha CM’s private secretary, attacked with ink
The Hindu
In the past few months, Pandian has been moving with heavy security arrangements and flying down from Bhubaneswar to different districts to review development programmes and collect grievance directly from people.
Ink was thrown at V. K. Pandian, influential bureaucrat and private secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, during his tour to Puri district on Saturday.
Puri Collector Samarth Verma, who was accompanying Mr. Pandian, also received ink stains on the campus of UGS College, Satyabadi, about 20 km from district headquarter town of Puri.
The youth, who was accused of throwing the ink, was whisked away from the spot by police personnel. He was identified as Bhaskar Sahu of Kanas area of Puri district. Mr. Pandian was interacting with members of Self Help Groups when the attack took place. He continued his public interaction programme with ink marks on face.
Umakant Samantray, Biju Janata Dal MLA of Satyabadi, claimed the attacker was a frontline worker of Bharatiya Janata Party and the ink attack was a manifestation of dire desperation on the part of BJP, which was gradually losing hope for a good show in the next elections.
In the past few months, Mr. Pandian has been moving with heavy security arrangements and flying down from Bhubaneswar to different districts to review development programmes and collect grievance directly from people.
Opposition parties termed the tours by an IAS officer, who is apparently vested with huge power, as subversion authority of an elected government.
“We condemn the ink attack. But discontentment among people was growing against Mr. Pandian who exercises enormous power in Odisha. The MPs and MLAs of Biju Janata Dal have just become non-entities in the State politics,” said Sajjan Sharma, a senior BJP leader.
While residents are worried over deaths due to diarrhoea in Vijayawada, officials still grapple to find the root cause. Contaminated drinking water supplied by VMC officials is the reason, insist people in the affected areas, but officials insist that efforts are on to identify the disease and that those with symptoms other than diarrhoea too are visiting the health camps.