Mahila Congress workers seek Odisha CM’s retirement, scuffle with police

Bhubaneswar: Mahila Congress workers Wednesday had a scuffle with police personnel here when they were stopped during a march to Naveen Niwas, the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to protest against “rising cases of violence” against women in the state and demanding his retirement from politics.

The activists of Mahila Congress led by its All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba and Odisha unit chief Minakshi Bahinipati, held a march towards Patnaik’s residence.

The scuffle started when the party supporters attempted to remove police barricades.

The police took the agitators in vans from Pallaspalli locality and released them in another place, Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh said.

“Lamba and other activists were stopped and removed from the public road. No one was arrested,” Singh said.

Before getting into the police van, Lamba said, “We wanted to meet the CM but we were stopped. It is murder of democracy.”

She claimed that Patnaik’s Mission Shakti scheme has failed in the state. Mission Shakti is an Odisha government programme for empowerment of women through Self Help Groups.

At a convention earlier in the day, Lamba targeted Patnaik saying: “The time has come for Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to retire from politics because the state needs a change in government. Women will play a vital role in changing the government.”

She said as the Patnaik-led BJD government is going to complete 24 years soon, a child who was born 25 years back is now an adult.

Lamba claimed that the BJD government has remained in power for such a long period but failed to provide employment, safety and security to women, and control price hike in the state.

Alleging both the BJD government in Odisha and the BJP-led central government are together, the Mahila Congress chief said, “Both are anti-youth, anti-poor, anti-farmer and anti-labourer. We need to root out both governments in the coming elections.”

Lashing out at the BJD government in Odisha, the Congress leader alleged that atrocities against women have increased during the present government.

Seven women including four minor girls are being raped each day in the state, she claimed.

“A lot of girl children are missing. The government has the responsibility to find them out but it remains a mute spectator,” she said.

The liquor sale has increased manyfold during BJD regime and women do not want development with money coming from liquor sales, Lamba said.

The Mahila Congress president demanded for 50 per cent reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas.