Congress Holds Massive Rally in Bhubaneswar Against Rising Crimes Against Women
Saturday’s rally marked Das’s first major agitation since taking over as OPCC president on February 11. His aggressive stance signals a renewed effort by the Congress to take on the ruling BJP government, which has been facing criticism over rising crime rates and governance failures.
Bhubaneswar: In a show of strength and dissent, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Saturday staged a massive rally in the state capital, protesting what it called an alarming rise in crimes against women under the current government.
The rally, led by OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das, saw the participation of a large number of party leaders, workers, and supporters, who marched through the city demanding immediate government action to ensure women’s safety. However, the protest soon turned tense as the demonstrators attempted to march towards the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, prompting a police blockade. A scuffle broke out between the police and the protestors as security personnel tried to prevent them from proceeding further.
Addressing reporters, OPCC chief Bhakta Charan Das launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government, accusing it of failing to maintain law and order since coming to power eight months ago. He alleged that the Mohan Majhi administration had been inefficient in addressing crimes against women, leading to an unprecedented rise in cases of violence, harassment, and exploitation.
"In the past eight months, Odisha has witnessed over 1,600 crimes against women. Girl students are no longer safe in schools and colleges. A girl student died under mysterious circumstances at KIIT Deemed University, and there have been several disturbing cases of girl students becoming mothers in residential schools. These incidents expose the government’s complete failure to ensure the safety and dignity of women," Das asserted.
Saturday’s rally marked Das’s first major agitation since taking over as OPCC president on February 11. His aggressive stance signals a renewed effort by the Congress to take on the ruling BJP government, which has been facing criticism over rising crime rates and governance failures.
With rural and urban polls elections on the horizon, the Congress appears determined to make women’s safety a key issue in its campaign against the ruling dispensation. The party has vowed to intensify its protests if the government does not take immediate steps to curb crimes against women and ensure stricter law enforcement.
The BJP issued a formal response to the Congress’s allegations.
“The Congress is replaying an old protest show to prove its existence in state politics. People are happy with the Mohan Majhi government and they state is on the right path of progress,” said BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra.
