Bhubaneswar, December 16: A large number of Congress workers, police personnel and journalists were injured after they were stung by a swarm of bees here on Monday during a protest rally organised by Congress outside the official residence of Principal Secretary to the Odisha Government, Bishnupada Sethi.
The protest was organised demanding arrest of Sethi in connection with a Rs 10 lakh bribery case. However, the situation escalated when someone inadvertently disturbed a beehive situated in a tree near the protest site, leading to a frenzy of angry bees.
Witnesses report that those attending the rally, including journalists, were caught off guard and sought refuge on the ground as the bees descended upon them.
“Protesters were tossing tomatoes and eggs at the walls of Sethi’s residence and nearby trees, which likely led to the disturbance of the beehive,” noted Sukanta Kumar Mohanty, a journalist present at the scene.
After approximately 30 minutes of chaos, the bees eventually dispersed, allowing the Congress workers to resume their demonstration. They resumed their chants calling for Sethi’s arrest, alleging he had attempted to accept bribes through his drivers to favor certain contractors.
As tensions mounted, some protestors attempted to breach the barriers surrounding Sethi’s official residence, leading to the detention of several individuals by police.
“Everyone in Odisha knows that many blacklisted companies were awarded contracts during the previous BJD regime under Naveen Patnaik. We are urging the Mohan Majhi government to take swift action against Bishnupada Sethi. Where is he hiding? Why is he avoiding the CBI summons? We’re also calling for the arrest of Nityananda Gond, the state’s minister for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe welfare, for his involvement in corruption,” a Congress leader declared during the protest.
