BJD calls for Bhubaneswar Bandh on September 24

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) called for a strike in Bhubaneswar on September 24 to protest against the alleged attack on Major and his fiancée at a police station in the Odisha state capital.

The strike in Bhubaneswar will be held for six hours on September 24 (Tuesday) to intensify the protest against the police action against Major and his fiancée, BJD president Debi Prasad Mishra said at a press conference here today.

The alleged attack on army officer Gurvansh Singh Gosa and his fiancée Ankita Pradhan, who had visited the Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar on September 15, drew sharp criticism from political parties. Politicians from all parties condemned the act and demanded strict action against erring police officials.

While the women members of the BJD staged a demonstration in front of the Governor House in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, taking the present BJP government to task over the issue, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi questioned the law and order situation in the country, especially in the BJP-ruled states.

“The horrific incident in Odisha has raised serious questions about public order in the country. An army officer who sought help from the police was brutally beaten up and his fiancée was tortured in custody. This heinous incident is a disgrace to the entire humanity,” Rahul Gandhi had posted on his X-handle, terming the unfortunate incident as “shameful”.