Bhubaneswar: A day after former MLA Pranab Balabantray was allegedly attacked during the ‘Jan Sampark Padayatra’ in Jajpur district, the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday slammed the BJP-ruled Odisha government, accusing it of failing to maintain law and order in the state.

Addressing the media at the BJD state headquarters, Sankha Bhawan, in Bhubaneswar, BJD Vice-President and former Minister Sanjay Das Burma criticised Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, saying despite the Home Department being under his charge, the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated significantly.

Das Burma alleged during the previous BJD government, former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik never encouraged people with criminal backgrounds and took stringent action against criminal activities.

However, over the past two-and-a-half years, criminal activities have increased due to the alleged deterioration in the law and order situation, he claimed.

BJD MLA Captain Dibya Shankar Mishra said criminal activities have been repeatedly reported in the Dharmasala area.

He questioned why the Chief Minister has not ordered a departmental inquiry into the reasons behind the recurrence of such incidents at the same place.

The BJD leaders demanded strict action against those allegedly involved in the attack on Balabantray and his supporters on October 4 at Panturi village under Gadmadhupur Gram Panchayat in Jajpur district.

The Opposition party claimed that more than 50 armed persons attacked Balabantray and his supporters in an organised and pre-planned manner.