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The Congress party is set to gherao the Odisha State Assembly today in protest against alleged rising incidents of violence against women and atrocities against children. Following a sit-in protest continuing through the night since Tuesday, the party has planned a demonstration outside the assembly today, with its workers expected to march in protest and lay siege to the legislative premises.
In view of the law and order situation, the Commissionerate Police have deployed 80 platoon police to ensure full-proof security during the gherao. All security measures have been heightened to avoid any untoward incident.
The protest comes a day after all 14 Congress MLAs were suspended from the assembly for a week due to continuous disorderly behavior inside the House. Following the suspension, Congress members clashed with the police in front of the assembly, escalating political tensions in the state. Calling the suspensions undemocratic, the Congress has vowed to intensify its agitation with today’s gherao.
OPCC States Its Objective
OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das, in an interaction with the media, claimed that the government had disobeyed democracy and used unauthorised police force on Congress MLAs who held the Mohan Majhi-led government responsible for rising crimes and atrocities against women in the state.
“The CM himself stated in the state assembly that 1600 cases of women's atrocities have been lodged so far under his tenure. He had replied to a question stating that more than 40,000 women and children have gone missing ever since he took charge. We are protesting to demand accountability on this,” he added.
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BJP Alleges Opposition Disruption Attempts
Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the opposition of attempting to disrupt assembly proceedings.
Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan accused the Congress of engaging in disruptive behavior within the Legislative Assembly, stating that their actions amounted to "goondaraj." He remarked that their conduct, including using offensive language, behaving irrelevantly, and creating disturbances with gongs, cymbals, and trumpets during proceedings, was not only unparliamentary but also a serious offense.
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Assembly Continues Without Opposition Presence
Meanwhile, the state assembly has been functioning without any opposition representation, and the same situation is likely to continue today. While the Congress is protesting against the government outside, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) remains active inside the House.
The agenda for today's session includes question-and-answer sessions related to the Water Resources, Revenue, and Commerce departments.
