Lathi-Charge, Water Cannons Used As Odisha Congress Workers Clash With Police During March To Assembly

The Odisha Police used a lathi-charge and water cannons to disperse Congress members protesting in Bhubaneswar, demanding the formation of a House Committee to investigate crimes against women.

The protesters were seen hurling plastic chairs at the security forces.

Source : ANI

The Odisha Police resorted to a lathi-charge on Congress activists and also used water cannons to disperse them. This comes after hundreds of party workers intensified their protest and demanded the formation of a House Committee to investigate crimes against women in the last eight months of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. The police took action after agitating Congress activists broke a barricade and attempted to enter the assembly building in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

The confrontation began on Mahatma Gandhi Marg in Bhubaneswar as Congress activists clashed with security personnel. The protesters were seen hurling plastic chairs at the security forces, who were trying to block their attempt to march towards the assembly premises.

Congress leaders, including Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das and former MLA Mohammed Moquim, who were a part of the party’s 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' programme, have been taken into police custody. Earlier, Das said that the party had organised a peaceful march to the assembly.

"We are not afraid of arrests... this agitation will continue," Das asserted, following the agitation.

"Many of our workers have been injured, four of them seriously (in the police action). I urge the police to arrest them as per law instead of using force," he was quoted by PTI.

AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajay Kumar Lallu, condemned the Odisha government over the “police brutality” on Congress workers.

Das had assured the state government that party workers would not enter the assembly premises during the protest, as he addressed the administration’s concerns about it.

Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagmohan Meena said that 80 platoons of police forces were deployed on all roads leading to the assembly to maintain law and order. He also warned of action against anyone who tried to violate the law.

Suspension Of Congress Members

On Wednesday, two Congress MLAs, Taraprasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena, who managed to avoid suspension on Tuesday, returned to the Assembly and protested by beating gongs. Their demonstration was against the suspension of 12 Congress members the previous day, and they demanded the formation of a House Committee to investigate the increasing crimes against women across the state.

However, their protest disrupted proceedings, prompting government Chief Whip Saroj Kumar Pradhan to move a motion seeking their suspension. The motion was passed through a voice vote, leading to the suspension of both MLAs. With this, all 14 Congress legislators were suspended from the Assembly for seven working days.