Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday announced to gherao Raj Bhawan tomorrow in protest against the state government’s inaction against the Inspector-In-Charge (IIC) and other four cops of Bharatpur police station who allegedly assaulted and misbehaved with an Indian Army officer of Sikh Regiment Major Gurvansh Singh and his fiancée.
The BJD party members sharply criticized the BJP government’s inability to safeguard women during a press conference held at Sankha Bhawan today. As per the decision taken during the presser, BJD will stage a protest in front of the Raj Bhawan and submit a memorandum addressed to the President of India.
The opposition party in Odisha has been vocal about the BJP government’s handling of women’s safety, particularly in light of two recent assault cases.
The BJD spokesperson has accused the state government of covering up the assault case involving Assistant Section Officer (ASO) Baikuntha Pradhan, who was allegedly attacked by the Odisha Governor’s son Lalit Kumar. Additionally, the BJD has pointed out the recent assault of a Major and his fiancée, questioning the government’s commitment to protecting its citizens.
The BJD further pointed out that during their tenure, CCTV cameras were installed at the Bharatpur police station, but currently, the police claim they were never installed. The party alleged that the police are trying to hush up the incident.
BJD also accused Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi of being insensitive to the incident, merely terming it ‘unfortunate.’ Meanwhile, opposition leader Naveen Patnaik had demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
