Bhubaneswar: Congress has urged Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to move a no-confidence motion against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Odisha, accusing it of having failed to address the issue relating to atrocities against women.
Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das claimed that incidents of atrocities and crimes against women are rising alarmingly in the state during the BJP government.
Expressing serious concern over the situation, he said crimes against women are taking place in several districts of the state including Ganjam, Balasore, Puri and Jagatsinghpur.
Noting that a miscreant tried to outrage the modestly of a woman in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, the PCC chief alleged that the state government has failed to address the issue.
He said top leaders of Congress, including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, have raised voices against the rise in crimes against the women in Odisha. Congress party recently observed a statewide bandh to protest against the suicide of a female student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore due to alleged sexual harassment by a faculty member, said Das.
However, the BJP government in the state is yet to wake up from its deep slumber and initiate concrete measures to check atrocities against women, he alleged.
While the Supreme Court has described the Balasore self-immolation incident as a shame, the Central government is silent on the issue, he said, adding that Congress has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj over the issue.
Stressing that BJD is the main opposition party with 51 MLAs in the Assembly, the senior Congress leader said that the Naveen Patnaik-led party should move a no-confidence motion against the BJP government in the assembly. Congress party will support the motion if BJD goes ahead with such move, Das said.
Stating that Congress is ready to move a no-confidence motion against the BJP government if BJD fails to do so, the PCC chief said BJD should come forward to extend its support to the motion in that case.
Responding to the suggestion of Congress, veteran BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said a formal notification regarding the next Assembly session is yet to be issued.
Stating that BJD has been agitating against the BJP government on the issue of atrocities against women, the former Minister said BJD legislature party will examine and take a decision on no-confidence motion once the next session of the Assembly is convened.
