Odisha: Ink attack on Congress president Sarat Pattanayak
Bhubaneswar: Some unidentified miscreants on Friday made an ink attack on Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak here at the party’s headquarters.
The miscreants allegedly hurled ink at the PCC chief while he was holding discussions with senior leaders of the party in his chamber at the Congress Bhawan.
They also threw the ink on the door outside his chamber.
The PCC chief said he suspected the BJP was behind the ink attack.
“I suspect it to be a handiwork of the BJP who want to stop the party protesting against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2024 paper leak. The miscreants are worried as Congress is slowly getting back to its glorious years in Odisha. He stated that Congress retained 14 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat and that has rattled their enemies.
“As per the directions of AICC, we were on our way to take out protests with students to expose the NEET scam under the ruling NDA government. However, a few miscreants threw ink at me. I don’t know if they had added acid or any other thing in it because my eyes are burning,” said Pattanayak.
“We are the party which believes in the Gandhian principle of peace. We follow the footsteps of truth and non-violence as propagated by Mahatma Gandhi. The other side follows Nathuram Godse who killed Gandhi ji. I have been with Congress since my youth days for the last 40 years. In politics, we are garlanded with flowers while sometimes even with slippers, acid or stones. It is nothing new for me,” he added.
He further added, “I’m not a person to be cowed down by such cheap acts. I’ve been a fighter since my youth days. No one can suppress me. The miscreants may have been provoked by BJP or any other party to conduct such acts, but I’m ready to forgive them. But, I want to give a stern warning to those who want to destabilize or weaken Congress. You can never win or weaken us. We know how to fight and give it back with courage.”
“This is not my first time. I was attacked earlier too with eggs and stones. People of Odisha have faith in us and we could retain 14 seats while BJD could not get even one MP seat. As Congress is slowly growing back to its glorious days, a few deceitful people are planning to weaken us. But, do not worry, we will stand with the lakhs of NEET students and fight against those who are playing with their future,” he added.