puri Stampede Protest: ‘Break their legs, take rewards’ Bhubaneswar cop caught on camera ordering action against Congress protesters; youth wing calls remark ‘inappropriate’ | Bhubaneswar News
BHUBANESWAR: City’s additional police commissioner Narasingha Bhol, a senior IGP-ranked officer, stirred a controversy on Sunday for instructing police officers to ‘break legs’ of some Congress protestors and offering rewards in return for such action.A video of Bhol saying “break their legs and take rewards from me” has gone viral on social media, prompting strong criticism from Congress members, who were staging protest near chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s residence here over the Puri stampede incident.“Such words from a senior IPS officer are not appropriate. We were holding a peaceful rally,” said Youth Congress leader Yashir Nawaz.
Poll
Do you think the comments made by police commissioner Narasingha Bhol were appropriate?
When contacted, Bhol clarified, “I was briefing the personnel to take action against the protesters if they resorted to violence and unlawful activities.”
Odisha CM orders administrative overhaul after Puri stampede; key officers reassigned
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday ordered a sweeping administrative overhaul following a deadly stampede near Puri’s Shree Gundicha Temple that left three dead and around 50 injured. As key Rath Yatra events near, senior IAS and IPS officers have been reassigned to tighten coordination and crowd control. ADG SK Priyadarshi will now oversee all police arrangements for the festival, while Saswata Mishra has been appointed Principal Secretary to the CM. Former Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal will manage Rath Yatra operations. Puri Collector and SP were removed, and two senior officers suspended. DIG Pinak Mishra has been posted as the new SP. An inquiry has been ordered under Development Commissioner Anu Garg to examine lapses and suggest corrective steps. Key events such as Suna Besa on July 6 are expected to draw lakhs of devotees.
