Bhubaneswar: The Mahatma Gandhi Marg here Monday turned into a virtual battleground after hundreds of activists of the students’ wing of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee clashed with police during a protest against increasing unemployment in Odisha.
The pitched battle ensued when the activists took out a rally from Congress Bhawan here and marched towards Odisha Assembly after crossing the first barricade put up at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here. The police personnel cordoned them following which the agitators had a scuffle with the cops.
Later, more than 50 Congress workers, including former Student Congress president Itish Pradhan, were detained by police.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made promises of generating mass employment in the country every year. But, he has completely failed to ensure the same. We will intensify the protest across the country over the hollow promises made by him,” Pradhan alleged.