Bhubaneswar: Activists of the youth wing of Congress staged a demonstration near the residence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday, alleging rise in violence against women during the BJP rule in the state.
During the protest organised by Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress, the demonstration tried to break the security barricade in a bid to enter the premises of the CM’s house.
Holding banners and placards, the protesters also threw eggs and tomatoes while shouting slogans against the BJP government after they marched from AG Square to the CM’s residence on Rajpath.
The demonstrators also alleged that the state witnessed rising atrocities on Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the deteriorating law and order situation. They further claimed that there was an assault on ‘Odisha’s Asmita’ (Odisha’s pride).
Tension erupted when police personnel deployed at the site stepped in to prevent the protesters to proceed further. Police intervention led to scuffle between the protesters and police personnel. Several protesters were picked up by the police as a preventive measure, sources said.
The demonstration was part of Youth Congress’s statewide protest demanding tough action and accountability from the government on crime against women. The protesters accused the government of failing to ensure the safety of women and ignoring repeated calls for justice.
Youth Congress workers reiterated that such demonstrations will continue across Odisha until concrete measures are taken to curb crimes against women.
“The BJP government has completely failed in Odisha. The law-and-order situation has collapsed in the state. Dalit men were stripped, beaten, and even forced to drink drain water,” said a Youth Congress leader.
