Bhubaneswar: More than 20 police personnel were injured during the BJP Yuva Morcha protest in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, February 28, officials said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night at Mahatma Gandhi Marg in front of the Odisha State Assembly, hundreds of Yuva Morcha activists were protesting the government. As they were halted, a fight broke out between the protestors and the police, said the  officials.

Two police officers have suffered critical injuries, said Commissioner of Police Saumendra Kumar Priyadarshi, and have been transported to Cuttack. 

"Two police officers have been injured critically and have been sent to Cuttack. They attempted to set fire to several cars and damaged several police cars. This offence is quite serious. 22 BJYM employees were detained by us and placed in judicial custody "Saumendra Kumar Priyadarshi said. He claimed that the demonstrators threw water bottles, eggs, and stones. As a result, 21 police officers were hospitalised with injuries.

"Workers for the BJP Yuva Morcha attempted to enter the Assembly yesterday. Police were instantly attacked when they attempted to stop them. They threw water bottles, eggs, and stones. 21 police officers suffered injuries as a result, and they were hospitalised "Saumendra Kumar Priyadarshi added. He continued, "We will take stern measures, and the manner in which they attacked us suggests that it was planned.

After that, BJP Yuva Morcha members protested outside the Capital Police Station, calling for the exoneration of BJP members who had been falsely accused of crimes and their release.

In addition, the demonstrators called for the detention of unidentified individuals who they said had turned a peaceful demonstration violent.

The youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party was demonstrating against the deteriorating law and order situation in Odisha when the state's Health Minister Naba Das was recently assassinated. They also shouted slogans against the CM Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government.

A group of protesters tried to breach the police barrier in order to reach a gherao of the state assembly, but they were greeted with a lathi charge from the police, which escalated the conflict.

The BJYM is outraged by this and claims that the police mistreated its Karyakartas. Tejasvi Surya, national president of the and a BJP member of parliament, accuses the state police of filing draconian cases and unlawfully detaining the protestors.

In a video shared by the BJP Yuva Morcha, Odisha Police is seen manhandling and lathi-charging the activists of the BJYM.

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