Bhubaneswar- With cases of violence against women surfacing across Odisha, the Congress party has called upon the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to take decisive political action against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Accusing the government of failing to ensure women’s safety, the Congress demanded that the BJD move a no-confidence motion in the State Assembly, assuring full support for such a step.
Congress leader and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das voiced serious concerns over the growing number of crimes against women in districts like Ganjam, Balasore, Puri, and Jagatsinghpur. Referring to a recent incident in Bhubaneswar where a woman was harassed in broad daylight, Das criticized the state government’s inability to respond with urgency or empathy.
Highlighting the Balasore self-immolation case, where a young girl allegedly took her life following sexual harassment by a faculty member, Das noted that both Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had condemned the incident. The Congress had also organized a statewide bandh demanding justice. Despite the nationwide outrage and even the Supreme Court calling the incident a matter of “shame,” the BJP government remains unresponsive, Das alleged.
He demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister and the Higher Education Minister, holding them accountable for the worsening situation. Das emphasized that with 51 MLAs, the BJD, as the principal opposition in Odisha, must rise to the occasion and table a no-confidence motion against the BJP regime. “The Congress is prepared to support the motion unconditionally, but the BJD must take a clear position,” he asserted.
Responding to the call, senior BJD leader and former minister Debi Prasad Mishra said the state government has yet to issue a formal notification about the next Assembly session. He acknowledged that the BJD has been actively opposing the BJP’s inaction on women’s issues and assured that the party’s legislative wing would take an appropriate decision once the Assembly schedule is formally announced.
As the political pressure mounts and public frustration grows, the state awaits a decisive response from its elected leaders on whether they will stand together to challenge the status quo or allow silence to prevail over justice.
