Kendrapada: Unidentified miscreants allegedly vandalised the half-bust statue of former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik installed at Siali beach resort under Padmapur gram panchayat within Ersama police station limits in Jagatsinghpur district on Wednesday night. The incident has triggered strong resentment among locals and political leaders.Locals found the statue missing from its pedestal on Thursday morning only to recover it later in a damaged condition around 300 m from its original location. Erstwhile Paradip MLA and former minister Dr Damodar Rout had unveiled it on Jan 14, 2019. Interestingly, the forest department demolished Dr Rout’s statue near Siali beach on April 24, as it had allegedly been erected within the prohibited Coastal Regulation Zone area.Following Thursday’s incident, local resident Trilochan Behera lodged an FIR at Ersama police station. Police registered a case under relevant provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.“We recovered the damaged statue around 300 metres from its original location. An investigation is underway to identify and nab those involved in the incident,” said Ersama police station IIC Partha Pritam Beura.Senior BJD leader and Balikuda-Ersama MLA Sarada Prasanna Jena condemned the incident. “I was shocked to learn that the statue of Biju Patnaik was damaged and that the police have no clue about the culprits,” he said.Several locals staged protests and expressed concern over the vandalism. They also staged a dharna near the damaged statue on Thursday, demanding immediate action against those responsible.
