Bhubaneswar: The members of ICT School Coordinators' Association, who were reportedly staging a peaceful demonstration outside the residence of School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash in Bhubaneswar, were allegedly thrashed and manhandled by police officials on Saturday.
Protesting the sacking of many ICT coordinators from their jobs, around 4,000 members of the association were staging a dharna in front of the minister's residence yesterday when some officials of the Capital Police Station allegedly thrashed them and detained more than 20 protesting coordinators.
"He (Dash) had been giving us assurances to resolve our issues for the last couple of months. Now when we staged protest, instead of paying heed to our grievances, he attacked us by using police," alleged president of ICT School Coordinators' Association, Soumya Ranjan Mallik.
"When the Minister could not give us justice, he attacked us by using cops. Several women agitators were also picked up by male police officers," alleged Parikshit Nayak, vice-president of the association.