Youth Cong activists hurl eggs, tomatoes while trying to gherao Odisha CM’s house

Bhubaneswar, Jun 25 (PTI) Odisha Youth Congress activists hurled eggs and tomatoes following a scuffle with police while attempting to gherao the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi here on Wednesday, police said.

Holding posters and banners, Youth Congress members led by state president Ranjit Patra took out a march towards the chief minister’s residence to protest the alleged rising of atrocities against women and Dalits in the state.

They demanded the resignation of CM Majhi for allegedly failing to protect the women and Dalits of the state.

However, the Youth Congress supporters engaged in a scuffle with deployed police personnel when they were prevented from gathering at the CM’s residence.

The protestors hurled eggs and tomatoes towards the residence of the chief minister, a police official said.

Some journalists, who were there to cover the protest, have become victims of the egg and tomato attacks. The police have detained several Youth Congress activists to disburse the protest, he said.

Alleging that law and order has completely collapsed in Odisha, Ranjit Patra said, “The women are not safe in the state. The gangrape of a college student at Gopalpur sea beach has shocked the entire nation.” Similarly, two Dalit men were assaulted by tonsuring half their heads and making them crawl on their knees in Ganjam district, he said.

These two are very recent incidents. Such incidents of assault on women and Dalits are reported every day in Odisha, the Congress leader claimed.

“The chief minister has no moral right to continue in his position as he is incapable of ensuring the safety of women and Dalits. He (Majhi) should step down,” demanded Patra.

Terming the Majhi government as “anti-Dalit” and “anti-women”, another Youth Congress leader Syed Yashir Nawaz said, “Odisha never saw such a chief minister, who is incompetent to rule the state.” Responding to the protest, state BJP youth wing president Avilash Panda said, the state government has “zero-tolerance” towards violence against women.

Soon after the Gopalpur gang-rape incident, minister Bihuti Jena visited the spot on the direction of the chief minister and issued instructions to the administration, he said. PTI BBM NN