Bhubaneswar: Taking strong exception to the action of the police which tried to outrage the modesty of women at the chief minister’s rally in Sundargarh yesterday, the State BJP today said it would stage protest demonstration before all blocks and civic bodies in Odisha tomorrow as a mark of protest.
Briefing newsmen at a press meet here today, BJP state president Basant Panda said the police showed disregard to women participants in the CM’s rally by forcing them to take off their black colour stoles and shawls.
“Disrespecting mothers is a great insult to the people of Odisha. The cops tried to outrage the women’s modesty. Earlier, a similar incident had occurred in a meeting in Bargarh, where the Chief Minister was also present. This is a reflection of sick mentality. The incident has killed the values of human rights and disgraced the women’s dignity. The heinous attempt to outrage women’s modesty by the police was done as per the CM’s order,” he alleged.
He said the chief minister should apologise for this unsavoury incident and punish those involved.
Pandemonium prevailed in the State Assembly over the issue earlier in the day with the Opposition Congress and the BJP creating ruckus during the Question Hour and sought unconditional apology from chief minster.
Unable to run the House proceedings, Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the House till 3 PM.
Notably, police personnel forced women to remove their black stoles before their entry to a public meeting addressed by the chief minister in Sundargarh district yesterday to ensure that nobody uses black cloths as a mark of protest. It was also alleged that some women wearing black saree were denied entry to the public meeting. The incident had triggered discontentment among the people.