Bhubaneswar: Mahatma Gandhi Marg here turned into a battlefield today as Congress’ Vidhan Sabha Gherao program became violent. The Congress activists engaged in a scuffle with Police personnel when they tried to break the barricades to proceed towards the Assembly.
The police resorted to lathicharge, burst teargas shells and sprayed water to disperse violent Congress activists, who broke barricades while marching toward the assembly in protest against the rising crimes against women.
MG Marg, the venue of the Congress demonstration, virtually turned into a battleground as Congress activists pelted stones and threw chairs at the police in their attempt to proceed to the State Assembly.
Tension prevailed as thousands of Congress activists, undeterred by police action, continued to attack the police force and refused to vacate Gandhi Marg.
As the Congress activists refused to leave, police began arresting the demonstrators. Das stated that the party would organize a “Nyay Satyagraha” in the next phase of agitation across the blocks in the State and would continue its fight, demanding safety for women and protesting the rising crimes against them in the State.
Several Congress activists and a dozen police personnel were injured in the clash. As the situation went out of control, the police, which had initially resorted to lathicharge, later burst teargas shells to disperse the Congress activists.
Congress leaders, including OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das and former MLA Mohammed Moquim, who were a part of the party’s ‘Vidhan Sabha gherao’ program, have been taken into police custody.
“The situation was under control. Our 12 officials have been injured and admitted to hospital. Police personnel have been deployed in all entry points around the Assembly,” Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena.
Congress President Bhakta Charan Das condemned the police action, stating that several Congress activists were injured. He urged the police to either allow the Congress workers to proceed to the Assembly or arrest them.
AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajay Kumar Lallu, also condemned the Odisha government over the “police brutality” on Congress workers.
Shri Das had earlier urged party workers to maintain peace, even if they were detained by the police, during the protest.
He had assured the state government that party workers would not enter the assembly premises during the protest, seeking to assuage the administration’s apprehension about it.