Odisha Congress Gheraos SP Offices Over Police ‘Trespass Into Cong Bhawan’, ‘Brutality’

Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of Youth Congress activists and senior party leaders on Tuesday gheraoed SP offices across Odisha, demanding action against police brutality.

Congress workers gheraoed SP offices to protest against the “police brutality” in the state capital on December 10, when party activists protesting over the Mamita Meher murder case and demanding the ouster of Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra were lathi-charged by the police.

The Congress party said many party activists, who were protesting peacefully, were being treated for injuries to their heads, legs and arms because of the “police brutality”. Policemen wielding lathis even chased the activists inside the Congress Bhawan, the office of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), here. A video of the incident went viral.

On Tuesday, party activists staged a dharna in front of the DCP office in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Senior Congress leader Sura Routray demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident. “The incident should be inquired thoroughly and strict action taken against the errant police personnel. Otherwise, the Congress will intensify its protests in the coming days,” he said.

The Congress also submitted a memorandum to Governor Ganeshi Lal, demanding an SIT probe into the Mamita Meher murder case, immediate sacking of Divya Sankar Mishra and lodging of FIR against him.

The party also demanded a judicial inquiry into the “police trespass into Congress Bhawan” and “barbaric attack on Congress workers in Bhubaneswar”. The Congress demanded immediate sacking of DCP, Bhubaneswar.

Citing statistics on crimes against women in Odisha, the party said that the gruesome killing of Mamita Meher pointed to the nexus between the police and ruling politicians.

The party also cited the Mahanga double murder case, in which state Law Minister Pratap Jena is facing the heat.

Earlier, Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati had said if Soumendra Priyadarshi, the Twin City Police Commissioner, could show proof that Congress activists hurled stones at police, he would quit politics.

Bahinipati was reacting to Priyadarshi’s charges that Congress activists hurled stones at the police during the clash between party activists and the police on Friday. He countered that the police had hurled stones at the Congress Bhawan.