Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh on Wednesday clarified that no rubber bullets were fired during the Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s protest at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar. The statement comes amid allegations from BJD leaders that police used excessive force, including firing rubber bullets, during their gherao of the Lok Seva Bhawan.
“Only water cannons and five tear gas shells were used after protestors broke through two police barricades,” the Police Commissioner said, adding that the situation was closely monitored through drone surveillance and AI cameras placed at the protest site.
The protest, which turned chaotic, was staged in response to the tragic death of Soumyashree Bisi, a student of FM College in Balasore, who had allegedly set herself on fire after facing harassment and institutional inaction. The BJD has accused the state government of failing to deliver justice in the matter.
According to Singh, while the protest was pre-approved by police, the situation escalated when BJD workers breached the barricades, prompting the deployment of water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. “Seven police personnel were injured during the clash,” he said, noting that he had visited them at Capital Hospital.
More than 100 BJD workers were detained by the Commissionerate Police during the confrontation. Several party leaders, including Pranab Prakash Das and Pritiranjan Ghadai, reportedly sustained injuries during the scuffle. While BJD has strongly condemned what it called “state repression” and alleged use of rubber bullets, the police have firmly denied those claims.
The incident has intensified the ongoing political conflict in Odisha, with BJD leaders asserting their right to protest and the police maintaining that their response was proportionate to the breach of security protocols.
