Opposition BJD, Congress join hands in protest
BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: The alleged assault on an army officer and his fiancee at Bharatpur police station recently has triggered widespread protest in the city with the Opposition BJD and Congress holding separate demonstrations on Saturday.
While BJD staged dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan, Congress tried to gherao the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the city but were stopped by police. The protest by the BJD workers came a day after party president Naveen Patnaik on Friday demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The Biju Mahila Janata Dal also submitted a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu through the district collector demanding stern action against the culprits.
Stating that the Crime Branch investigation into the incident is an eyewash to cover up police brutality, BJD demanded a court-monitored SIT probe into the incident as suggested by Naveen Patnaik.
Demanding arrest of the suspended IIC of Bharatpur police station, the Congress demonstrators demanded that the chief Minister step down from office.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Odisha Young Lawyers’ Forum, Cuttack on the day submitted a memorandum to the DGP demanding protection of rule of law and exemplary action against highhandedness by police personnel. On the other hand, Odisha Police Association (OPA) urged for revocation of suspension of police personnel in the incident. “Since, the investigation is going on and the concerned police personnel are yet to be found guilty, their suspension is not justified,” said organising secretary of OPA Umesh Chandra Sahoo.