Bhubaneswar, 1 July

An IPS officer of the Odisha cadre has allegedly instructed police personnel to "break legs" of some Congress workers and assured them of "rewards" for their action, prompting the opposition party in the state to condemn such a remark.

The controversy erupted after a purported video, in which Bhubaneswar Additional Police Commissioner Narasingha Bhol was seen instructing police personnel to "break their legs and take reward from me" during a Congress workers' protest, went viral.

PTI could not verify the authenticity of the video independently.

His alleged instruction came during a protest rally by Congress activists on Sunday night over the Puri stampede that left three people dead.

The Congress activists were holding a demonstration before the chief minister’s residence, alleging that there were lapses in crowd management, which led to the stampede incident.

In the viral video, Bhol was seen instructing the police personnel guarding barbed fencing near the CM’s residence not to allow anyone to breach the barricade.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das said, “This is highly condemnable. This shows the BJP government’s attitude towards protesters. They (BJP) are criticising the emergency even after 50 years, but now a senior officer is instructing police personnel to break the legs of protesters. Is this a democracy?”

Das also accused Bhol of instigating Congress activists earlier during a rally in Bhubaneswar.

As his remarks stirred controversy, Bhol said that he urged the police personnel to perform their duties properly.

"I was briefing the personnel to take action against protesters if they take the law into their hands, and resort to violence and unlawful activities," Bhol said.

Youth Congress leader Yashir Nawaz said that they were holding a peaceful demonstration, demanding action against those responsible for the Puri stampede.

"The Congress was also demanding the resignation of the chief minister and the law minister. But, Bhol’s instruction to the police personnel is anti-democratic and highly condemnable," he said.

Three people were killed and around 50 others injured in the stampede during the Rath Yatra festivities in Puri on Sunday.