Bhubaneswar: Ahead of Panchayat Polls, youth activists of Governing Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and opposition BJP on Thursday held two rallies in the capital city against each other.
The BJD workers took out a motorcycle rally here protesting over the rise in fuel prices, essential commodities and rising unemployment. The youth BJP tried to gherao Assembly over Mamita Meher murder case.
The BJD bike rally was led by the party’s Organisational Secretary Pranab Prakash Das, Yuva BJD General Secretary Pranab Balabantaray and Chhatra BJD President Devi Ranjan Tripathy. The party activists raised slogans against the Central government during the march.
“The Central Government has betrayed people by making several false promises. The price of fuel and essential commodities is continuously rising. Rise in unemployment among the youth has also added to the woes of the common men,” said BJD Lawmaker Snehangini Chhuria.
The Union Government should bring down the prices of fuel and essential commodities. Otherwise, BJD will intensify the protests in the coming days, she warned.
On the other hand, the BJP workers scuffle with the police while taking out a massive party rally in Bhubaneswar demanding CBI probe and sacking of Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra in connection with Mamita Meher murder.
Taking out a massive rally from the State BJP headquarters, the BJYM workers marched towards the Assembly shouting slogans against the BJD and its supremo Naveen Patnaik and Minister Mishra.
However, they were stopped at the lower PMG by the police following which, they staged dharna in front of the Assembly. However, later the protest turned violent after the saffron party activists tried to make forced entry by breaking the police cordon.
Later, the police resorted to lathi-charge on the BJYM activists who continued the rally near lower PMG.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Suresh Pujari raised the Mamita murder case, Mahanga double murder, Pari murder and custodial death of Gobinda Kumbhar in Parliament.
Demanding a CBI probe, the MP from Bargarh urged the Centre to seek a report from the Odisha government over the cases while highlighting the deteriorating law & order in the State.