Bhubaneswar: Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has condemned the alleged mistreatment meted out to two IRS officers by the security officials at the Governor’s House (Lok Bhawan) in the Odisha capital here on April 16.

The Naveen Patnaik-led party has sought proper investigation into the incident and appropriate action against the guilty.

According to the Opposition party, Principal Chief Income Tax Commissioner of Odisha, D. Sudhakar Rao, and some senior officers of his department had a scheduled meeting with Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati at the Lok Bhawan on April 16.

Upon reaching the Governor’s House, Rao and four other officers were allowed to meet the Governor. But, two IRS officers—Manish Kumar and Satya Prakash Mishra—of the team were asked to wait in the designated waiting area, said BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty at a press conference in the capital city here today.

According to Mohanty, some police personnel deployed at the Lok Bhawan, later, forcibly evicted the two IRS officers from the premises and took them to Capital police station. Subsequently, the Principal Chief Income Tax Commissioner lodged a written complaint in this regard with the Governor’s office, added Mohanty.

“The Governor’s House, which was earlier known as Raj Bhawan, has recently been renamed as Lok Bhavan. It is expected that people would receive justice at Lok Bhavan. However, the incident where two IRS officers, including an Odia officer, were mistreated by police officials responsible for security inside Lok Bhavan has deeply hurt everyone. This incident has created widespread outrage across the state. The Biju Janata Dal has strongly condemned the incident and has raised questions over the law-and-order situation of the state and the dignity of Odia identity,” said the BJD spokesperson.

BJD leaders Chinmaya Das and Rocky Das, who were also present at the presser, urged the authorities concerned to take the incident seriously and ensure justice for the victims.

The regional party also raked up the alleged incident in which an Assistant Section Officer (ASO) was assaulted at the Raj Bhawan in Puri during the tenure of Raghubar Das as Odisha Governor in 2024.