Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday staged a protest at Master Canteen Square, accusing the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress of adopting a double standard on women’s safety and shielding leaders involved in sexual assault cases.
The protest saw the participation of several senior leaders, including former minister Arabind Dhali, former MLA Priyadarshi Mishra, State General Secretaries Saroj Kar and Kasturi Mishra, BJP Yuva Morcha chief Abhilash Panda, Mahila Morcha President Aishwarya Biswal, and others.
Protesters held placards and burned effigies of Rahul Gandhi and Naveen Patnaik, accusing them of maintaining silence on sexual assault cases involving members of their own parties.
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State BJP leader Niranjan Mishra criticised the BJD and Congress for what he called their double standards on women’s safety.
He said that while both parties stage Odisha Bandhs, candlelight marches, and gheraos over such issues, their silence on cases involving their own leaders, like the arrest of NSUI state president Udit Pradhan in a rape case and allegations against BJD leader and BMC Corporator Amaresh Jena, exposes their hypocrisy.
“The top leadership of both parties has chosen to remain silent, revealing their double standards,” Mishra said.
“When their own leaders are involved, they have no answers. Their crocodile tears will no longer fool the people of Odisha,” he added.
PNN
