Congress Bid To Gherao Odisha Secretariat In Show Of Strength Ahead Of Elections

Bhubaneswar: In a show of strength ahead of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, Congress workers staged a demonstration and tried to gherao the state secretariat in Bhubaneswar accusing the BJD government of having failed in all spheres.

As scores of Congress workers took out a march in a hid to gherao Lok Seva Bhavan, the Lower PMG in the state capital virtually turned into a battlefield when the protesters were stopped by the police personnel deployed in the area.

Accusing the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government of perpetrating misrule in the state in the last 24 years, the slogan-shouting Congress protesters alleged that Odisha is now hit by rampant corruption, unemployment, atrocities on women and weaker sections, and injustice to farmers.

Led by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak, the protesters were involved in a scuffle with the police personnel while breaking security cordon in an effort to proceed towards the state secretariat. AICC’s Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar was also present.

Coming down heavily on the Naveen Patnaik government, PCC chief Sarat Pattanayak said people of the state will dethrone BJD which is working in collusion with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to indulge in irregularities and ruin the state. Congress will intensify its fight against the two parties in order to save the state, he said.

Speaking in same vein, party MLA from JeyporeTara Prasad Bahinipati claimed that over 15 lakh people from one district have migrated to other states in search of jobs as the BJD government has failed to provide them with employment.

Accusing the BJD regime in the state and BJP-led government at the Centre of  exploiting people, he claimed that farmers are unable to sell their produce at remunerative prices and forced to resort to distress sale.

Another party legislator Mohd Moquim said the ‘dictatorship’ of  the BJD government will not be tolerated and Congress will intensify its agitation.

A large number of party leaders and workers from across the state gathered at Congress Bhawan in the state capital before taking out the rally against the BJD government.