Bhubaneswar: Following the footsteps of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), opposition Congress Thursday tried to gherao Naveen Niwas demanding immediate resignation of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy. Maharathy has been in soup for his reported controversial remarks hailing the acquittal of Pipli gangrape and murder case accused.
Holding placards and shouting slogans against Maharathy, hundreds of Mahila Congress activists marched towards Naveen Niwas from the Congress Bhawan.
However, their bid was foiled as police intercepted them at Sishu Bhawan Square leading to a scuffle. A woman Congress activist reportedly fell unconscious at the site and was admitted in Capital Hospital’s ICU.
Bhubaneswar DCP Anup Kumar Sahoo said as the activists scuffled with police, they were detained and placed under preventive arrest.
Later, Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress president Sumitra Jena said, “We will continue our protest till Maharathy is removed from the Cabinet. The party will also protest against the CM in by holding rallies and demonstrations in future.”
Another leader Bijayalaxmi Sahoo said the Crime Branch and police have failed to collect evidences against the culprits and now they are exerting their power on the agitators.
Reacting on the issue, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, “They are making false allegations against the state government. Our government has never maintained silence on the issue. The government has done everything possible in this case starting from the Crime Branch probe to filing of charge sheet.”
Besides, the Crime Branch has appealed in the High Court against the lower court’s verdict, Patra added.
Earlier, the BJP tried to gherao Naveen Niwas twice demanding removal of the Agriculture Minister from the Cabinet.
Maharathy had courted controversy by saying that that he welcomed the judgement and also claimed that the victim got justice. The additional district judge court in Bhubaneswar had acquitted the two accused.