BJP activists stormed the residence of Mr V Kartikeyan Pandian, IAS, private secretary to CM Naveen Patnaik damaged a glass slung cow dung and raised abusive slogans on Saturday. The unprecedented act of vandalising a bureaucrat’s house evoked widespread condemnation. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said it was shocking that a national party takes resort to vandalism.

The IAS Association secretary Vishal Dev deplored the act and said a resolution will be adopted tomorrow while the OAS association demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. Congress leader Narasingha Mishra too lambasted the BJP saying attacking a public servant on charges of running the government and the ruling party only exposes the fact that the BJP do not have guts to even blame the CM. It is a cowardly act, he chided adding that officers are never targeted by political parties of stature. Early this morning, a group of BJP activists carrying placards “Pandian Savdhan” went to Pandian’s residence and started hurling cow dung at the gate.

Significantly, a couple of TV channels were already there to shoot the incident. The activists, all carrying BJP flags raised slogans against the officer, stormed the gate, manhandled a guard and barged in. Some of them picked up flower pots and hurled them at glass windows of the house. The peon who was there said that the activists raised slogans in support of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

They left the place and ‘abducted’ a sub-inspector Markanda Mishra who tried to prevent them. He was later dropped from the vehicle at another place of the city. The police who reached the spot managed to arrest four BJP activists. Alleging that Pandian and officers of the CMO , D S Kute,IPS, Gopa Das were working for the ruling Biju Janata Dal, the BJP later petitioned the Chief Electoral Officer here demanding that they should all be removed from their posts and placed under suspension. Their phone and WhatsApp messages should be examined, said the petition.

Shockingly, the BJP petition also named Sujata Kartikeyan, IAS, wife of Kartik Pandian as another officer working for the BJD, a charge which nobody across the political divide could believe. Twin City Police Commissioner YB Khurania said stern action will be taken as per law against those involved in the incident. Ruling BJD activists took out a protest rally against the goondaism of the BJP and met the DGP seeking a through probe . Those who had planned the attack, conspired behind the scene should be booked said the BJD.

The most interesting reaction to the development came from BJD MP Baijayanta Panda who tweeted “I disagree with barging into anyone’s home to protest. But Pandian arranged for some people to throw stones, bricks & eggs at me & protected them by not arresting them for four months. There are serious allegations of corruption and patronage of crooks and goons, which he must answer”.It may be noted here that Panda, who has been gunning at Pandian for a while, has been suspended from the BJD.