BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Wednesday staged a massive protest outside Lok Seva Bhawan over the self-immolation of FM College girl student, demanding a judicial probe by a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court into the incident.
The principal opposition party in the state also called a bandh in Balasore, which brought normal life to a complete standstill in the district. In Bhubaneswar, police had to use tear gas shells and water canons when hundreds of workers tried to break the barricade to gherao the Lok Seva Bhawan. The leaders and workers marched from Master Canteen to the Lower PMG square during which there was a scuffle with the police when the latter tried to stop them.
While hundreds of BJD leaders and workers were rounded up, several leaders including former general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das, former ministers Ranendra Pratap Swain and Pritiranjan Gharai and Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo were injured during the scuffle with police. Das and Gharai were admitted to the Capital Hospital in the city.
Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik condemned the strong-arm tactics employed by the police and the government to sabotage the peaceful protest. In a post on X, Naveen said police acted in a partisan manner, rushing to fire rubber bullets when there was absolutely no justification for such excessive force.
The BJD president said the party exercised its constitutional right to hold a peaceful demonstration protesting the tragic death of the 20-year-old girl student, who was a victim of systemic apathy and sheer betrayal. As BJD leaders marched in a disciplined manner towards Lok Seva Bhawan, the police unhesitatingly used water cannons to disperse the peaceful crowd.
“Legs of two former ministers were broken, probably needing surgery. Other senior leaders, a lady Rajya Sabha member and several party workers have been brutally hit by police. Clearly, the government owes an explanation for this kind of action against protesters,” he said.
Naveen said the BJD will continue its fight undeterred until justice is served for the girl student. “Neither water cannons nor rubber bullets can weaken our resolve,” he added.
Youth Congress activists also demonstrated in front of the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi demanding his and Higher Education minister Suraj Suryabanshi’s resignation over the incident. They were detained by the police after they tried to break the barricade in front of the chief minister’s residence.
Members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged protests outside the Utkal University and blocked the NH demanding justice for the victim and legal action against all members of internal complaints committee (ICC) of FM College. They also demanded action against NSUI activists who tried to shame the victim and defame her on various platforms including social media.
