Bhubaneswar: The political landscape in Bhubaneswar witnessed a significant surge of activity as the Bharatiya Janata Party organized a massive Jana Akrosha Mahila Padyatra on April 22, 2026.
The protest march was specifically aimed at condemning opposition parties for blocking the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, an act described by party leadership as a betrayal of the country’s female population.
Thousands of women from diverse backgrounds joined the rally, donning black bands as a symbol of their resentment and marching from the Exhibition Ground to Lower PMG.
A notable highlight of the demonstration was the active participation of the cooperative sector. Saffron leader Shri T Prasad Rao Dora, President of the Odisha State Cooperative Bank, led the march alongside more than 500 cooperators from across the state.
This mobilization follows a recent trend of top cooperators joining the BJP to strengthen the cooperative movement spearheaded by Union Minister of Home and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah.
The presence of these active cooperators on the streets of the capital city was seen as a major boost to the party’s grassroots strength, with many participants lauding the leadership of Shri Dora in aligning the cooperative force with the party’s national agenda.
The rally was further bolstered by the presence of the state’s top political leadership. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, and State President Shri Manmohan Samal joined the women force to amplify the protest.
Addressing the crowd, Chief Minister Majhi characterized the blocking of the bill as the murder of mothers’ dreams and a blow to the constitutional rights of women.
Deputy Chief Minister Smt.Parida and State President Shri Samal criticized the Congress and BJD, alleging that their opposition to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam exposes an anti-women bias.
The event concluded with a street meeting where effigies of opposition leaders were burned, signaling the BJP’s intent to take this agitation to the district and booth levels.