Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), April 4: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has announced a statewide protest in the form of ‘mashaal’ (torchlight) rallies across all 314 blocks of the state on April 15. The initiative aims to highlight the alarming rise in cases of missing women and children in Odisha and demand immediate government action.
OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das informed that Congress has been consistently raising the issue of women’s safety both inside and outside the Assembly. “We will not stop until the government takes meaningful steps. Over 60,000 women and children have gone missing in recent times, and the state cannot afford to remain silent,” he said.
Following the torch rallies, the Congress will stage district-level protests on April 21, which will include padayatras, meetings, and collector office gheraos. These protests will also address issues such as drinking water shortages, mining-related corruption, and farmers’ woes.
Das criticized both the BJP and the ruling BJD for their silence, alleging collusion. He also slammed the state government for refusing to form a House Committee or a ministerial-level team to investigate the issue.
In a unique protest call, Das urged women across Odisha to show brooms during visits by ministers to signal their frustration with government inaction.
