The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday, 20 June sharply criticised the Odisha state government over a mob assault on two NGO volunteers — a young man and a woman from outside the state — by a crowd of around 40 villagers in Kalyansinghpur, Rayagada district, on 16 June. The attack, which the BJD described as a 'complete breakdown of governance and law and order,' has triggered a political storm and prompted police to arrest 20 persons so far.

What Happened in Rayagada

According to police, the two victims were volunteers with an NGO, travelling from Daringbadi in Kandhamal district to Thuamul-Rampur in Kalahandi district via Kalyansinghpur, navigating with Google Maps. They were stopped and questioned by villagers at Kandulaguda village under Dhamunipanga Panchayat, roughly 7 km from the Kalyansinghpur police station, on suspicion of being child-lifters.

As the two volunteers attempted to leave the area, rumours reportedly spread through phone calls across nearby villages that child-lifters were on the move. The rumour quickly reached Sainagar, Intaliguda, and surrounding areas. Near a roadside dhaba at Sainagar, a group of youths intercepted the pair and began assaulting them. Within a short time, the crowd had swelled to more than a hundred people, who joined the mob attack.

The victims were eventually rescued by local police and, according to reports, some alert youths from the locality, who rushed them to hospital for treatment. Rayagada police subsequently examined viral video footage of the assault and have arrested 20 persons in connection with the case.

BJD's Political Offensive

Addressing a press conference at the BJD headquarters in Bhubaneswar, Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo alleged that Odisha — once regarded as a peace-loving state — was gaining notoriety for 'corruption, mob violence, atrocities against women and a deteriorating law-and-order situation.' She described the visuals from the attack as 'deeply disturbing and condemnable in any civilised society.'

Deo also alleged that mob violence incidents were on the rise and that the state government had failed to discharge its responsibilities. Notably, she claimed that concerns raised in a recent US travel advisory regarding the state now appeared justified — a pointed reference that is likely to intensify political pressure on the ruling dispensation. The BJD further demanded that the government publish a White Paper detailing measures taken to ensure women's safety across Odisha.

Naveen Patnaik Questions Government's Governance Record

BJD president Naveen Patnaik questioned how the state government could celebrate two years in office under the slogan 'Vikas Ra Dhara, Odisha Sara' while the state faced criticism over violence against women and a worsening law-and-order situation. He urged the government to take 'the strictest measures' to ensure women's safety and restore public order.

This comes amid growing scrutiny of the ruling government's handling of law-and-order incidents in the state, with the Rayagada attack now serving as a flashpoint for the opposition's broader accountability narrative.

Police Response and Arrests

The Rayagada police have taken the matter seriously, arresting 20 persons on the basis of viral video footage that documented the assault. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out. The victims, after receiving hospital treatment, are reported to be out of immediate danger, though their full recovery status has not been officially confirmed.

With the opposition intensifying pressure and a criminal case underway, the Odisha government faces mounting questions over both its governance record and the persistent spread of child-lifter rumours — a pattern that has triggered mob violence in several Indian states in recent years.