BHUBANESWAR: The Congress on Monday, November 1, 2021, gave a call for Odisha bandh on November 12 to protest against the BJD government's alleged inaction against Minister of State for Home DS Mishra who is charged with patronising the prime accused in the kidnap and murder of a woman teacher in Kalahandi district last month.
The decision in this regard was taken at the party's working committee meeting here attended by its Odisha In-charge A Chella Kumar and state Congress president Niranjan Patnaik.
"The chief minister has not so far dismissed the minister even as his role in the entire episode remained suspicious. No case has been registered against the minister though there is apparent evidence against him. Crimes against women are on the rise in the state," the party said in a statement.
"A case must be registered and the minister should be arrested after his dismissal from the council of ministers," it said.
The party appealed to the people to support the bandh call for the sake of dignity and protection of women in the state, said OPCC spokesperson Rajani Mohanty.
The opposition BJP on Monday observed a 6-hour bandh in Bargarh district demanding resignation of Mishra, and staged demonstration in different places across the state.
The police had to use force to disperse the BJP protesters when they attempted to enter the office of the district collector in Keonjhar.
Referring to the ruling BJD's statewide agitation against the price rise of fuel and other essential items, BJP general secretary P Harichandan said, "This is an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the minister's role in the lady teacher's killing."
The BJD's women wing staged demonstration in all the 147 assembly segments to protest against the price hike of cooking gas.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Congress on Monday launched a membership drive to strengthen the party's base at the grassroot level ahead of the panchayat and civic polls.
The drive will continue till March 30.
One has to pay Rs 5 for the membership of five years, A Chella Kumar said.