Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 2 (ANI): The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has strongly condemned the assault on its Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo by a group of individuals. BMC Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil expressed shock over the incident and assured strict action against those involved.

'The incident occurred yesterday while Mr Sahoo was attending to public grievances. We all condemn this ghastly act. An FIR was immediately lodged, and three people have been arrested. We have spoken to senior police officials and want stern action to be taken against the culprits. After this incident, we will certainly strengthen the security of our officers,' Patil told ANI on Tuesday.

As a mark of protest and solidarity with Sahoo, BMC officials wore black badges during the day.

'As an expression of solidarity with Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation officials are wearing black badges today to protest the incident,' Patil added.

Meanwhile, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das has alleged that the BJP is behind the violent incident. 'BJP believes in having a violent approach...During a public hearing, an OAS officer, Additional Commissioner, was beaten and dragged by BJP workers...We demand that the BJP leader be arrested. BJP should take disciplinary action against their member...' Das told reporters.

Das also criticised the administration for prioritising the visit of industrialist Gautam Adani over the safety of devotees during the Rath Yatra. 'The whole focus of police and administration was on the participation of Adani in Rath Yatra, not the safety of the devotees. You gave less importance to Lord Jagannath and more to Adani,' he said, referring to the recent Puri stampede incident. Earlier on Sunday, three devotees lost their lives and several others were injured during the crowd surge at the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Odisha unit on Tuesday suspended five of its members over their alleged involvement in the violence at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office, where Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo was assaulted on Monday.

Odisha BJP's media cell said party's state unit chief Manmohan Samal has suspended five leaders - Corporator Aparup Narayan Raut, Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Debashish Pradhan, Sachikanth Swain and Sanjeev Mishra, from the primary membership of BJP on the basis of allegations related to the violence at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation office, yesterday. BJD leaders had strongly attacked the BJP government in the state over the assault on Ratnakar Sahoo.

Bhubaneswar Police arrested three persons on Monday for assaulting Sahoo during office hours. An FIR has been registered at Bhubaneswar's Kharvelnagar Police Station. Those arrested have been identified as Jeevan Rout, Rashmi Mahapatra and Debashis Pradhan. Police officials said that the involvement of other persons is being ascertained. (ANI)