BJD stages dharna near Raj Bhavan, Congress tries to lay siege to PM's residence

Bhubaneswar: The women's wing of the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) staged a demonstration in front of the Raj Bhavan on Saturday to protest against the “sexual assault” on a woman in police custody.

Congress activists, on the other hand, tried to storm the official residence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is also the Home Minister, and demanded his resignation over the incident.

Hundreds of women BJD members held a dharna in front of the Governor's Palace with placards and banners and shouted slogans against the BJP government in the state, accusing it of failing to protect the people, especially women.

They demanded a court-monitored SIT investigation and a judicial inquiry into the alleged torture of an army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar.

“We will send a memorandum to the President through the Governor,” said BJD leader Lekhashree Samantasinghar.

“The state government has no control over the administration and the police. This is demonstrated by the incident at the Bharatpur police station, where an army officer and his girlfriend were physically and sexually assaulted. This is not acceptable in a civilised society,” said Samantasinghar.

BJD chairman and Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, who took part in the protest, said, “BJD chairman Naveen Patnaik has demanded a court-monitored SIT inquiry and a judicial inquiry as the state police cannot properly investigate the allegations against its own personnel. Therefore, only a judicial inquiry can provide justice to the victims.” Das also accused the state government of trying to cover up the incident and protect the policemen involved in the incident who had made mistakes.

“When the Bharatpur police station was opened, CCTV cameras were installed. But now the police are claiming that there was no CCTV camera there. This suggests that the government was trying to cover up the incident,” she alleged.

BJD MP Sulata Deo said the party had decided to ask President Droupadi Murmu to intervene in the matter as “she is also a woman and can understand the plight of the fiancée of the army officer” who was allegedly sexually abused in police custody.

Meanwhile, youth and student activists of the Congress staged a demonstration and tried to surround the official residence of the Chief Minister and demand his resignation. Majhi is also the Home Minister.

The protesters threw tomatoes and eggs at the Prime Minister's residence. However, the projectiles did not hit the intended target, the Prime Minister's residence, as the protesters were stopped by the police just a few meters away.

The alleged incident took place on September 15, when an army officer stationed in West Bengal and his fiancée went to the Bharatpur police station to file a road rage complaint for allegedly being harassed by some local youths.

However, a verbal argument broke out between the two and some police officers, as a result of which the officer and his fiancée were allegedly attacked at the police station.