Bhubaneswar, Feb, 21 : A scuffle erupted between members of the Odisha Mahila Congress and the police in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The activists were prevented from marching towards Naveen Niwas, the official residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik., who were protesting the escalating cases of violence against women in the state.
Led by All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba and Odisha Mahila Congress president Minakshi Bahinipati, the protesters were advancing toward Naveen Niwas to lodge their protest The Congress members reportedly attempted to dismantle the police barricades, resulting in a physical altercation with the authorities.
Speaking to the media before escorted into a police van, Lamba expressed her frustration: “We wanted to meet the CM, but we were barred from entering Naveen Niwas. This is a blatant attack on democracy,” she asserted, further criticizing Naveen Patnaik’s Mission Shakti as a failure.
Earlier in the day, over 3,000 women Congress members from across the state had congregated in front of the state party headquarters for the Mahila Samavesh. The Congress leaders announced that 50 percent of party tickets in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would be allocated to women.
Lamba emphasized that the Odisha Mahila Congress would devise strategies for women voters, drawing inspiration from the mantra imparted by Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Meanwhile, OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak and Bahinipati declared that the Odisha Mahila Congress would gherao the CM’s residence, protesting against increasing crimes against women in Odisha and the deteriorating health, education, and employment opportunities in the state.
The Congress leaders accused the BJD government of enticing women through various schemes solely to secure their votes, while the core issues affecting women remained unresolved.
