Union textiles minister Santosh Gangwar's car window cracked as BJD workers protest against BJP

BHUBANESWAR: Biju Janata Dal workers protesting against the BJP cracked the window of the car in which Union textiles minister Santosh Gangwar was travelling in the western Odisha town of Bargarh.

Gangwar, along with the minister of state for food processing Niranjan Jyoti and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda was in Odisha since Thursday. As part of the the party’s Vikas Parv celebrations, marking two years of Narendra Modi’s government, the ministers and the former CM were headed to address a gathering in Bargarh.

Led by Bargarh MLA Debesh Acharya, BJD workers clad in black and carrying black flags were asking the central minister and other BJP leaders to go back, protesting what they claimed was the Centre’s failure to meet its promises to Odisha.

“Protection of visiting central ministers is the responsibility of the state government," Gangwar told media persons. "It seems (Chief Minister) Naveen (Patnaik) is upset with the comparing of his 16 years in power with Modi’s two years at the Centre,” he said.

Jyoti added the protest was not in keeping with the Indian tradition of treating guests as visiting gods.