Chairs thrown at Odisha minister

Bhubaneswar, Sep 19: A minister in the Naveen Patnaik council of ministers, Sanjay Dasburma, faced a tough time today when the students of a vocational college at Alarnath in his Brahmagiri Assembly segment in Puri district hurled plastic chairs at him, police said.

The incident took place when minister Dasburma was about to occupy the dais at the inaugural function of the college, they said.

Some students, suspected to be supporters of opposition Congress, shouted at him and threw chairs. However, the Employment and Technical Education & Training Minister Dasburma escaped unhurt as security personnel escorted him, police said.

Later, supporters of the minister allegedly thrashed the attackers at the meeting venue. A clash broke out between supporters of the minister and the attackers following which police had to resort to mild lathicharge.

"I do not know the reason behind their anger. It is totally politically motivated. In politics there should be opposition, but it should be in decent manner," Dasburma said.

The incident came barely within a week after eggs were hurled at Odisha's Agriculture Minister Pradeep Kumar Maharathy's vehicle at Bolangir.

PTI