Odisha: Mahila Congress workers clash with police during protest march to CM Patnaik's house
Mahila Congress workers led by Alka Lamba and Minakshi Bahinipati marched to Naveen Niwas – the residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik – to protest against 'increasing cases of violence' against women in the state.
Odisha News: Mahila Congress workers led by party's women wing chief Alka Lamba and Odisha unit chief Minakshi Bahinipati led a protest march at Prime Minister Naveen Patnaik's residence on Wednesday and clashed with police personnel after the agitators tried to remove the barricades placed by the police.
The Congress women's wing workers led by Lamba and Bahinipati marched to Naveen Niwas – the residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik – to protest against “increasing cases of violence” against women in the state.
“Women justice is the right of the women of the country and the Mahila Congress wants to provide justice to them. Today I am happy that I have decided to raise my voice against injustice, my sisters
@OdishaPMC took to the streets of Bhubaneswar in large numbers and protested,” Lamba wrote in a post on
“Now this battle will be fought in every corner of the country. Until women get the right to justice,” she added.
I think I'm fine, I think I'm fine, I think I'm fine,
I think I did a good job. I think I did a good job @OdishaPMC I think I got it right I think I got it right,
I think I like it… pic.twitter.com/tnHS5ANStV
— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) February 21, 2024
However, the protesters were stopped by police personnel and also tried to remove the police barricades, leading to a scuffle with the police. The agitators were taken away from Pallaspalli locality in police vans and later released to another police custody, an official said, adding that no one was arrested.
'Arrested for wanting to meet CM'
Meanwhile, Alka Lamba, president of the All India Mahila Congress, claimed that she and other protesters “were arrested by the police. Lamba told X: “We are not afraid of these arrests. Modi in Delhi and CM Naveen Patnaik in Odisha will have to answer for the 'injustice' done to women. Today I and the Mahila Congress sisters were arrested in Bhubaneswar just because we wanted to meet the CM of Odisha.”
I think I got it right
I need a CM tool I think it is 'अन्याय'. More
I think I did it right I think I did it right I found CM… pic.twitter.com/XqPOHskiFN
— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) February 21, 2024
However, a senior official refuted the claims, stating that the agitators were merely picked up from one place and released from another and no one was arrested.
“Alka Lamba and other activists were arrested and removed from public streets. No one was arrested,” said Prateek Singh, deputy commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar.
Before getting into the police van, Lamba said, “We wanted to meet the CM but we were stopped. It is murder of democracy.”
CM's Shakti mission has failed
Lamba alleged that Patnaik's Mission Shakti scheme has failed in the state.
Mission Shakti is an Odisha government program for women empowerment through self-help groups.
The Odisha Mahila Congress earlier in the day organized a convention in which speakers demanded that 50 percent of seats be reserved for women in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
(With PTI inputs)