Odisha Assembly Gherao: Congress workers attempt to set police van on fire, 12 cops & journalists injured

Bhubaneswar: Congress workers on Thursday attempted to set a police van on fire as the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here turned into a battlefield during the Vidha Sabha gherao programme over the issue of women’s safety in Odisha. “The driver of the van, luckily, managed to thwart the incident,” Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said.

Police had to resort to lathi-charge, use water cannons and teargas shells as protestors pelted stones and hurled chairs and water bottles after breaking the security barricades while proceeding towards the Assembly. Congress leaders, including Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das, state-in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Mohammad Moquim, were taken into custody.

Senior party leaders and workers of Congress, which had called for Odisha Assembly gheroa over its demand for formation of a House Committee to investigate crimes against women during the last eight months of the BJP government, took out a rally from Ram Mandir Square and assembled at Lower PMG Square where a public meeting was held.

After the meeting, the party workers broke the first barricade and tried to push through the second layer of security cordon. They dispersed after lathi-charge by police only to return with stones and chairs. Following which, water cannons and teargas shells were used and police finally managed to evacuate the protestors from Mahatma Gandhi Marg.

Speaking to action against the protestors, the DCP that they tried to break the main barricade and pushed the police personnel deployed there, which was unlawful since prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita is in force due to the ongoing budget session of the Assembly. “Though the situation is currently under control, heightened security measures are still in place and police personnel deployed on all roads leading to the state Assembly,” he said.

He further informed that 12 police personnel were injured in the stone pelting by the protestors. “Some people in the crowd have also sustained injuries…all are being treated at Capital Hospital…,” he said. Further action and FIRs will be lodged on the basis of reports received from cops on the ground, he added.