Shoes were hurled at Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik while he was addressing a election meeting at Kumbhari under Bijepur assembly constituency bypoll to which is scheduled for 24 February. A youth identified as Kartik Meher hurled ‘shoes’ at the chief minister from close range.

The first flew close to the chief minister’s face while the second was deflected by the chief minister’s security guard on the dias. Mr Patnaik who was waiving to the crowd was seen shielding his cheek and turning around after the first shoe flew past him. Security men pounced on the youth and struggled to protect him from angry people who started to assault him.

The youth has been hospitalised. Kartik Meher does not belong to Kumbhari area, said the police . There was strong reaction among the public after the unexpected attack on the chief minister. The villagers also have condemned the incident. Many were quick to blame the BJP for the incident. The BJD alleged that the youth was instigated by the BJP.

He had BJP material in his pocket and has said three people had asked him to hurl shoes at the CM. The BJP is facing defeat and out of sheer frustration it is resorting to such cowardly acts said BJD spokesperson and MP P K Deb while pointing out at an earlier instance when a lady, wife of BJP activists had hurled eggs at the chief minister in Balasore district.

The BJP, in turn, condemned the incident and suspected that the BJD had orchestrated the incident as it wanted to gain sympathy. BJP state president Basant Panda refuted the charge that the youth belonged to the party.

BJP MLA Pradip Purohit, however, described the incident as a reflection of public anger over the 18 year misrule of the BJD in the state. The police was guarded and took the plea that they were yet to ascertain the antecedents of Kartik Meher.

Tuesday was the first day of campaign by the chief minister for the Bijepur bypoll. He addressed a couple of meetings seeking votes for the BJD candidate Rita Sahu. The CM also held road shows. He is scheduled to campaign tomorrow before returning to Bhubaneswar. It was for the first time in 18 years of power that the CM had to face such a situation.

A few weeks ago , a woman had hurled eggs at the CM in Balasore district. She happened to be the wife of a BJP activist. Even earlier, eggs have been hurled at chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s carcade. But for the first time shoes were flung at him at a election meeting.