Odisha: Alleging rise in crimes against women under BJP govt, Cong announces mega protest on Mar 10
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The opposition Congress in Odisha announced a state-wide protest on March 10, alleging a rise in crimes against women after the BJP came to power here in June last year.
State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das alleged that there was "no governance" in the state after the BJP formed the government and women were the worst affected by this "lawlessness".
"At least seven women are subjected to some form of humiliation in the state every day. Had there been the rule of law, the situation would have been different," he said, attacking the Mohan Charan Majhi government.
Das said Congress workers will demonstrate in every district headquarters town on March 10 to protest the rise in crimes against women.
In a statement, the state Congress claimed that 1,600 women-related cases have been reported in the last eight months, and of them, 54 are of gang rape.
"This shows how the women are safe in the state. Therefore, the Congress will certainly stage agitation across the state over the matter," it said.
Senior state Congress leader Jaydev Jena said, "After 77 years of Independence, the BJP has come to power in Odisha for the first time. They are only eight months in the government and cannot run it properly. The people are not feeling the existence of a government here."
Rejecting the Congress's allegations, the chief minister had on Monday claimed the number of crimes against women in the state has declined after the BJP came to power, and that his government will soon publish a White Paper on the issue.
Referring to the Congress's demonstration on the issue near his residence on March 1, he said, "Let the Congress target the government. Congress is a sinking party, and it is doing these (agitations) in order to come to the limelight. It is making baseless allegations."
Majhi said Congress should raise such issues in the assembly, during the Question Hour, Zero Hour, or through Adjournment Motions.
Reacting to the CM's statements, Das said, "Let the people decide if Congress is a sinking party. If the Congress is sinking, why does he react to its agitation on women's safety? This means the CM cannot ignore the Congress's presence in the state."
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
