Bhubaneswar: The row over the idea of renaming Ravenshaw University in Cuttack intensified after police booked a BJD MLA and two party leaders for their alleged involvement in a group clash.
The trio - BJD MLA Byomkesh Roy and party leaders Lenin Mohanty and Akram Khan (alias Bobby) - were charged for their role in a group clash during a student torch rally on Wednesday.
On Thursday night, Malgodown police in Cuttack registered the case based on a written complaint filed by a research scholar of the university's statistics department.
The complaint stated that a scuffle broke out between two groups near the university's main gate during the rally, with some students claiming they were manhandled by outsiders on the campus.
The opposition BJD strongly condemned the complaint against its leaders. The party argued that the rally was organised peacefully and asserted that no participants entered the university campus.
"The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) vehemently condemns the false and unfounded FIRs against our esteemed party leaders Byomkesh Roy, MLA, Dr. Lenin Mohanty, and Akram Khan (Bobby Khan) in connection with the recent protests at Ravenshaw University," the BJD stated.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had suggested on August 31 that Ravenshaw University, named after a British bureaucrat, be renamed. He, however, clarified it was his personal opinion.
The issue sparked a heated debate in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday, with both the ruling BJP and the opposition BJD and Congress exchanging sharp remarks.
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