Odisha: Alleging rise in crimes against women under BJP govt, Congress announces mega protest on Mar 10

Bhubaneswar: The opposition Congress in Odisha announced a state-wide protest on March 10, alleging a rise in crimes against women after the BJP came to power here in June last year.

State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das alleged on Tuesday that there was "no governance" in the state after the BJP formed the government and women were the worst affected by this "lawlessness".

"At least seven women are subjected to some form of humiliation in the state every day. Had there been the rule of law, the situation would have been different," he said, attacking the Mohan Charan Majhi government.

Das said Congress workers will demonstrate in every district headquarters town on March 10 to protest the rise in crimes against women.

In a statement, the state Congress claimed that 1,600 women-related cases have been reported in the last eight months, and of them, 54 are of gang rape.

"This shows how the women are safe in the state. Therefore, the Congress will certainly stage agitation across the state over the matter," it said.

Senior state Congress leader Jaydev Jena said, "After 77 years of Independence, the BJP has come to power in Odisha for the first time. They are only eight months in the government and cannot run it properly. The people are not feeling the existence of a government here." Rejecting the Congress's allegations, the chief minister had on Monday claimed the number of crimes against women in the state has declined after the BJP came to power, and that his government will soon publish a White Paper on the issue.

Referring to the Congress's demonstration on the issue near his residence on March 1, he said, "Let the Congress target the government. Congress is a sinking party, and it is doing these (agitations) in order to come to the limelight. It is making baseless allegations." Majhi said Congress should raise such issues in the assembly, during the Question Hour, Zero Hour, or through Adjournment Motions.

Reacting to the CM's statements, Das said, "Let the people decide if Congress is a sinking party. If the Congress is sinking, why does he react to its agitation on women's safety? This means the CM cannot ignore the Congress's presence in the state."