Bhubaneswar: The Congress party, which came to life after the appointment of Bhakta Charan Das as State President, today observed the International Women’s Day as protest day.
Tying black ribbons on their mouths, the women wing of Congress today staged a protest here at Master Canteen Square. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Das, senior MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati and several other leaders joined in the protest of the party’s women members.
Shri Das said that the women of Odisha are neglected, harassed and exploited under the double engine government.
“The BJP party came to power promising to protect and empower women, but after coming to power, it is now deceiving women. Here, the exploitation of women has crossed all limits under the “Narendra-Mohan” government. But the government is sitting idle and helpless,” he alleged.
During the previous BJD government, the BJP party used to hit the streets for women. But after coming to power, why is the BJP ignoring the issue of rising atrocities against women, asked Das.
A ninth standard student of Ashram School in Keonjhar, the Chief Minister’s own district, has become pregnant, while a class 10 student delivered a baby in Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri, the Congress leader pointed out.
In Dhenkanal, a woman was gang-raped by 7 men for a long time, in Jajpur, a matriculation examination candidate became pregnant in a girls’ hostel, in Cuttack, a minor girl was raped in a brick kiln, in Laxmipur, a tribal girl was raped and many more such incidents happened during the BJP government’s rule, he said.
“Such incidents are happening every day in this state. Women are unsafe everywhere in schools, colleges, universities. Even on campuses, atrocities against women are going on. That is why suicide of students are increasing in the State,” he further said.
Shri Das has called on women from every family, from rural to urban areas of Odisha, to participate in a protest his party would organise on March 10 against rising atrocities against women.
Taraprasad Bahinipati demanded the State government to come up with a special Bill to ensure safety and security of women in Odisha. He said the Congress party would continue to raise the issue inside and outside the Assembly.