Clashes Erupt as Congress Protests in Odisha Turn Chaotic

Odisha Police used force against Congress activists demonstrating for a parliamentary probe into women's crime allegations. Tensions rose as barricades were broken and chairs thrown. Congress leaders were detained, but vowed to continue the protests against the government's handling of the situation.

The Odisha Police resorted to lathicharging and deploying water cannons to disperse Congress activists who staged a dramatic protest on Thursday near the state assembly. The demonstration aimed to demand the formation of a House Committee to investigate alleged increases in crimes against women in the state.

Tensions escalated as the protesting Congress workers broke through a barricade and attempted to reach another, en route to the assembly building. The confrontation on Bhubaneswar's Mahatma Gandhi Marg saw demonstrators hurling plastic chairs at security personnel who were preventing their approach to the assembly premises.

Several key Congress figures, including state Congress president Bhakta Charan Das and former MLA Mohammed Moquim, were detained as part of the 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' program. Das declared the continuation of the protests despite the arrests and injuries sustained, urging lawful police action instead of forceful measures. AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajay Kumar Lallu, strongly criticized the government's handling of the situation.

(With inputs from agencies.)