BHUBANESWAR: The Congress’ protest has once again exposed the gaping holes in police intelligence and security preparedness with the leaders and workers of the grand old party breaching the secured zones multiple times with effortless ease over the last 24 hours.
Caught napping, Commissionerate Police had a tough time in evacuating the protestors from the spot on Tuesday night. There was a rerun of the scenes and chaos outside the Assembly on Wednesday morning as Congress workers clashed with the police.
Sources said police had allowed suspended Congress MLAs to proceed towards the Assembly to stage a peaceful protest near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue but scores of party workers including women managed to follow them through the service roads in front of Chief Post Master General’s office. The protesters also reportedly heckled additional commissioner of police Narasingha Bhol.
This is not the first time that such lapses have been reported. Congress activists had managed to block RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s convoy in the city on January 30 despite his top security status.
Senior officers, however, denied any intelligence failure or security lapses during both the incidents.
“Though prohibitory orders are in place near the Assembly as the session is currently underway, the movement of vehicles is not restricted. On Tuesday night, Congress leaders went there in different vehicles but were immediately removed from the spot,” said Bhol. Similarly, the protesters were taken into preventive custody when they attempted to enter inside the Assembly premises earlier in the day, he said.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened as Congress has called a gherao of the State Assembly on Thursday. About 72 platoons of police force including 12 units of Odisha Swift Action Force will be deployed.
