Bhubaneswar: The Congress leaders on Wednesday tried to gherao the residence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, to protest “rising” crime against women in the State. The Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress protested against “rising atrocities” on Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the deteriorating law and order situation and the alleged attack on ‘Odisha’s Asmita’ (Odisha’s pride). The Youth Congress supporters marched from AG Square to the Chief Minister’s residence on Rajpath, raising slogans and displaying placards. The Commissionerate Police stopped the protesters midway and later detained several workers.

“The BJP government has completely failed in Odisha. The law and order situation has collapsed in the State. Dalit men were stripped, beaten and even forced to drink drain water. Despite Rahul Gandhi’s intervention through his social media post, the government remains shameless. The Youth Congress will not remain silent.

We are holding the Chief Minister’s Office accountable through this gherao because the State government is running away from its responsibilities instead of protecting its people,” said Congress leader Yashir Nawaz.