The showdown between rival factions of lawyers of the Orissa HC Bar Association at the High Court on Monday resulted in a political spat, with the BJP accusing the ruling BJD and the Congress lashing out at both the parties.

The BJP echoed the charges levelled by a section of the lawyers by saying BJD had deployed goons to disrupt the two-month-old strike. There are allegations that some of the “Biju goonda vahini” carrying sharp weapons had infiltrated the lawyers to create trouble, said the BJP.

The ruling BJD hit back by noting that only a couple of days ago Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Prdhan had made a statement on the lawyers’ agitation and one could make out who was behind the entire tussle.

READ | Massive police deployment in Orissa High Court as two groups of lawyers spar

“The factionalism among lawyers created today’s situation why is the BJP trying to politicise it and why are insinuations being made against the Biju Yuva Vahini,” remarked BJD MP and spokesperson Pratap Deb.

He said a group of lawyers wanted to resume work on Monday keeping in mind sufferings of the litigants and those lodged in jail who had not been getting an opportunity for over two months to move a bail application.

Deb added that a matter pertaining to the entire issue was pending before the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.

The Congress, which held a news conference, blamed both the BJD and the BJP, and said the common man was suffering because of the fight between the two parties and the state had earned a bad name.

READ | SC restrains Orissa HC Bar Association from continuing strike

OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said the situation should not have been allowed to come to a boil. He said the state government took no steps to try and resolve the issues raised by the lawyers and the BJD was making it more complicated through the lawyers of its legal cell.

“What can be more telling than the fact that 25 platoon police had to be deployed in and around the High Court today,” Patnaik said pointing out that many strikes by lawyers had been resolved in the past without much of a problem. “There have been clashes between lawyers and police in the past but none of them had resulted in a two month long cease work agitation,” he said.

The Orissa High Court Bar Association has been on a strike since 29 August, following an incident at Cuttack where a lawyer, DP Patnaik, was assaulted by policemen.

The Supreme Court had in September restrained the Bar from going on strike and directed it to resume court work.