Bhubaneswar, March 27 Amidst heavy security arrangements and barricading on the roads connecting to the Odisha Assembly, hundreds of Congress workers and leaders on Thursday began their protest rally against alleged increase in the crime against women in the state.
The Congress supporters in different groups from different directions marched towards the PMG Square area of the city.
Several party leaders, including Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das, AICC Odisha in-charge Ajay Kumar Lalllu, and Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, are scheduled to address the party workers.
Later, the supporters led by Congress heavyweights will march towards the Assembly to stage a gherao.
"We are holding the protest to seek justice for the mothers and sisters of the state. Crime against women has increased under the BJP government during the last nine months. The state will not progress until we ensure the safety and security of women. We will continue our fight for women's safety inside the Assembly and on the streets. The fight will continue till the state government accepts our demand for the formation of a house committee," said Kadam.
Meanwhile, Das urged all the Congress workers to refrain from resorting to violence and hold the protest peacefully.
He also claimed that police stopped many Congress supporters from different districts across the state from reaching Bhubaneswar to participate in the protest.
He urged the police officials to allow the Congress workers to come to Bhubaneswar.
Notably, the Commissionerate police have deployed 80 platoons of police force at important places in the city to avoid any untoward incident during the rally.
Since March 7, during the second phase of the Assembly session, opposition Congress members have been holding protests demanding the formation of a house committee to investigate the alleged rise in atrocities against women in the state.
Following continuous ruckus by the Congress MLAs in the Assembly, Speaker Surama Padhy suspended them on Tuesday and Wednesday for their unruly behaviour.
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