Bhubaneswar: Youth Congress activists Thursday scuffled with the police during a protest over the alleged rise in crimes against women and the suspension of senior party MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati from the Assembly.
The agitators, led by Youth Congress leader Ranjit Patra, marched from Bhubaneswar Club towards the chief minister’s official residence. However, they were stopped midway by the police, leading to a scuffle.
The agitators broke through the police barricades before courting arrest.
They also demanded the formation of a House Committee to inquire into the crimes against women and the formulation of a stringent law to deal with cases of violence against women.
The Youth Congress, later in a statement, came down heavily on the BJP, accusing its MLAs of attacking opposition party members in the House.
“If an MLA is not safe inside the House, how can the government ensure the security of 4.5 crore people in the state?” it questioned.
The protesters demanded action against Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling and senior BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra for an “attack” on Bahinipati in the Assembly Tuesday.
Bahinipati, a senior Congress MLA from Jeypore, was suspended from the assembly for seven days by Speaker Surama Padhy following a scuffle between the Congress and BJP members in the well of the House Tuesday.
Bahinipati was accused of unruly behaviour in the House while demanding a statement from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is also in charge of the home department, on “rising” violence against women across the state.
The Congress MLA first attempted to climb the Speaker’s podium in a bid to stall the proceedings. As she continued to run the House amid the din, he rushed to the seat of Urban Development Minister KC Mohapatra, where he was allegedly attacked by BJP members including Jaynarayan Mishra, who held him by his shirt collar.
PTI
