Bhubaneswar: Mahila Congress workers were engaged in a scuffle with police personnel in Bhubaneswar Wednesday when they were stopped during their march to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s residence to protest against “rising cases of violence” against women in the state.
Led by All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba and Odisha unit chief Minakshi Bahinipati, the party supporters advanced towards Patnaik’s residence ‘Naveen Niwas’ and attempted to remove police barricades leading to the scuffle with the force.
The police took the agitators in vans from Pallaspalli locality and released them in another place, Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh said.
“Lamba and other activists were stopped and removed from the public road. No one was arrested,” Singh said.
Before getting into the police van, Lamba said, “We wanted to meet the CM but we were stopped. It is murder of democracy.”
Lamba claimed that Patnaik’s Mission Shakti scheme has failed in the state.
It can be mentioned here that Mission Shakti is an Odisha government programme for empowerment of women through Self Help Groups.
The Odisha Mahila Congress earlier in the day organised a convention in which speakers demanded reservation of 50 per cent of seats for women in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
PTI