Bhubaneswar: The Congress has announced its plan to organise ‘mashaal’ rallies across all 314 blocks of Odisha on April 15 to protest alleged rise in cases of missing women and children in the state.
Sharing details of the plan, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das told reporters that the party is continuously fighting for women’s safety both inside and outside the Assembly.
“We will continue our fight in the coming days until the government takes concrete steps for their safety,” he said, claiming that over 60,000 women and children have gone missing in the state in recent times.
“Therefore, the party will hold ‘mashaal’ rallies in all 314 blocks on April 15, a day after Ambedkar Jayanti,” the PCC chief said.
Similar protests are scheduled to be held in district headquarters on April 21.
“Padayatras, meetings, and collector office gherao will be organized at the district level on that day,” Das said.
In addition to addressing the issue of missing women and children, the district-level protests will also raise concerns over local issues such as drinking water shortages, mining scams, and farmers’ grievances, according to Das.
Hitting out at both the ruling BJP and the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, the OPCC president remarked, “Both parties have remained silent on the issue. It shows that both parties are together.”
Das expressed disappointment over the state government’s inaction, stating, “It is unfortunate that the Odisha government has not yet formed a House Committee to probe the cases of missing women and children.”
He further criticised the CM’s stance, saying, “The Chief Minister has claimed that a House panel cannot be formed because it’s not a specific issue. At the very least, the government could have established a ministerial-level committee or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising senior police officers.”
In a symbolic protest, the Congress leader appealed to all women in the state to display brooms during visits by government ministers to their localities. “This will serve as a powerful symbol against the government’s inaction,” he added.
