<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The scuffle started when the party supporters attempted to remove police barricades.</p><p>The police took the agitators in vans from Pallaspalli locality and released them in another place, Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh said.</p>.Odisha govt invokes ESMA to prohibit fire personnel strike.<p>“Lamba and other activists were stopped and removed from the public road. No one was arrested,” Singh said.</p><p>Before getting into the police van, Lamba said, “We wanted to meet the CM but we were stopped. It is murder of democracy.”</p><p>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.</p><p>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.”</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.”</p><p>Lashing out at the BJD government in Odisha, the Congress leader alleged that atrocities against women have increased during the present government.</p><p>Seven women including four minor girls are being raped each day in the state, she claimed.</p><p>“A lot of girl children are missing. The government has the responsibility to find them out but it remains a mute spectator,” she said.</p><p>The liquor sale has increased manyfold during BJD regime and women do not want development with money coming from liquor sales, Lamba said.</p><p>The Mahila Congress president demanded for 50 per cent reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas.</p>
<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The scuffle started when the party supporters attempted to remove police barricades.</p><p>The police took the agitators in vans from Pallaspalli locality and released them in another place, Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh said.</p>.Odisha govt invokes ESMA to prohibit fire personnel strike.<p>“Lamba and other activists were stopped and removed from the public road. No one was arrested,” Singh said.</p><p>Before getting into the police van, Lamba said, “We wanted to meet the CM but we were stopped. It is murder of democracy.”</p><p>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.</p><p>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.”</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.”</p><p>Lashing out at the BJD government in Odisha, the Congress leader alleged that atrocities against women have increased during the present government.</p><p>Seven women including four minor girls are being raped each day in the state, she claimed.</p><p>“A lot of girl children are missing. The government has the responsibility to find them out but it remains a mute spectator,” she said.</p><p>The liquor sale has increased manyfold during BJD regime and women do not want development with money coming from liquor sales, Lamba said.</p><p>The Mahila Congress president demanded for 50 per cent reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas.</p>