Odisha police resorted to a lathi charge, used water cannons, and fired tear gas shells on Thursday, March 27, as Congress workers clashed with law enforcement during their ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ protest against rising crimes against women under the BJP government.
The confrontation occurred when Congress workers broke through barricades and attempted to march towards the state assembly in Bhubaneswar.
Several Congress workers and police personnel sustained injuries during the clashes at the Lower PMG Square. In response to the protest, which saw over 80 platoons of police forces deployed, multiple barricades were set up around the roads leading to the assembly.
The protest escalated after hundreds of Congress activists intensified their demands for the formation of a House Committee to investigate crimes against women during the past eight months of BJP rule in the state. The police intervened when protesters breached the barricade and attempted to enter the assembly building.
The clash began on Mahatma Gandhi Marg, where Congress activists confronted security forces. Protesters were seen throwing plastic chairs at the police as they tried to block their path to the assembly premises.
Among those detained were key Congress leaders, including Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das and former MLA Mohammed Moquim, both of whom were part of the protest. Earlier, Das had emphasized that the party’s march was meant to be peaceful.
