The Congress party staged a strong protest in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday against the suspension of 12 MLAs from the Odisha Legislative Assembly. The demonstration, led by the Youth Congress, saw the participation of state president Bhakta Charan Das and Odisha in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu.
Protesters gathered outside the Vidhan Sabha premises before being taken to the Congress Bhawan. Amid the agitation, Lallu alleged that the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader sustained injuries and was mishandled by authorities.
Lashing out at the ruling government, Lallu accused the administration of suppressing opposition voices and ignoring serious crimes in the state.
“I have talked to the CLP, he has injuries on his hands. He was manhandled… This is a dictatorship,” Lallu declared. He further highlighted alarming statistics on crimes against women in Odisha, claiming that over 64,000 women have gone missing, while gang rapes and sexual violence continue unchecked.
“For the Kolkata incident (RG Kar rape and murder case), the President tweeted in condemnation, but in Odisha, where 64,000 women are missing, minor girls are getting pregnant, and school-going girls are giving birth in government residences, there has been no statement. Our MLAs were simply demanding a discussion on this, and for that, they were suspended. We will continue to fight,” he told ANI.
Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das also alleged that he was being arrested despite following legal protocols. He pointed out that Section 144 had been imposed in the area, restricting gatherings, but they had adjusted their numbers accordingly.
“According to Section 144, we reduced our number from five to four, so technically, we should not be arrested. We even requested permission for just one leader to go, but they are not allowing that either. We are being arrested now. Our CLP is also injured,” Das stated.
As tensions rise between Congress and the Odisha government, party leaders have vowed to continue their fight against what they describe as an undemocratic suppression of their voices in the assembly.
