BHUBANESWAR: The youth wing of the Congress on Sunday announced to launch a statewide agitation against the deteriorating law and order situation in the State. Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress (OPYC) president Sangram Keshari Jena announced that Youth Congress activists will stage dharnas in front of the district collectorates on January 16 and 17. Alleging that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is fully responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation in the State as he is in charge of the Home portfolio for the last 12 years, Jena said police stations are under the control of criminals at many places.
Jena alleged that anti-social elements have been encouraged during the last 12-year rule of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The alleged involvement of a minister in the murder of Hindol block chairman last year, the Pipili gang-rape case, the rape and murder of a college student at Bhadrak, rape incidents at Rajgangpur and on the Puri-Konark marine drive, the Kandhamal riots and growing Maoist violence across the State are evidences of the deteriorating law and order situation, he said.
The OPYC has also plans to submit a memorandum to Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister over these issues. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has demanded a probe by the CBI into the Pipili gang-rape case and arrest of the inspector in-charge of the Pipili police station and other culprits immediately.
The CPI activists took out a procession here from the State party headquarters to Rajmahal square and staged ‘rasta roko.’ Rejecting the judicial probe announced by the State Government into the Pipili incident, State party secretary Dibakar Nayak said it will be a prolonged affair. Judicial probes into Kalinganagar incident and Kandhamal riots are yet to be completed, he added.
Nayak announced that the CPI will take part in Monday’s rally planned by other like-minded parties on the incident demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister.