Odisha woman cop blames Jagdish Tytler for beating during bandh

Defending Tytler,Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan said that Tytler had asked the partymen to come forward for jail Bharo. “He did not instigate violence.

“I do not think calling upon partymen to court arrest is any crime or instigation,” the Congress Chief Whip said.

“This is an unfortunate incident. We are sorry for the assault on the lady constable. Women police should not be deployed at the forefront. We demand action against senior police officers responsible for deployment of women at sensitive places,” he said after party MLAs boycotted the assembly.

Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh of Congress sought to give a different spin saying “All people present at the rally were not Congress activists. Some people,who are angry over the BJD government’s misrule,may have assaulted the woman constable.”

Tytler,on the other hand,told a news channel that it was wrong to assault a woman. “There is a bid to defame us in public. The incident has proved that Naveen Patnaik is incapable of giving good governance.”

Admitting that the woman constable was manhandled at yesterday’s rally,Harichandan said “One must thank Congress workers who saved her.”

Senior BJD MLA Pradip Maharathy demanded arrest of Tytler for attempting to create a ‘1984 Sikh riot like situation here’.

“I can produce evidence of Tytler instigating people at the rally,” he said.

BJD women’s wing president Pramila Mallick,who met the lady constable in hospital demanded Tytler’s arrest for instigating the mob to attack women security personal.

“We will stage a dharna tomorrow demanding arrest of the persons responsible for attack on the lady constable and other policemen,” Mallick said.

BJP Legislature Party Leader K V Singhdeo said: “If any leader who used provocative words which instigated the people,needs to be booked.”

Meanwhile,the Odisha Human Rights Commission issued notice to the Deputy Commissioner of Police,Bhubaneswar,to submit a report on the attack on the constable.

A Congress delegation also met Governor M Cbhandare demanding a judicial injury into the episode.

34 arrested in Odisha violence,Assembly paralysed

At least 34 people have been arrested in connection with the violence and attack on a woman constable during a Congress rally here which also echoed in the Odisha Assembly today paralysing proceedings.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the violence was condemnable and people were shocked by the assault on the woman constable while Union Minister and Comgress leader Srikant Jena dubbed Odisha as a ‘police state’ where right to protest and democratic values have been lost.

Thousands of Congress workers clashed with the police yesterday when they tried to picket the state Assembly building demanding resignation of Patnaik over the coalgate row leaving around 260 people including 60 police personnel injured.

At least 34 people have so far been arrested for the violence and attack on the woman constable,Assistant Commissioner of Police Nihar Das said.

In the Assembly,Congress legislators stormed the well protesting police excesses paralysing proceedings.

Shouting slogans against the BJD government and the police action,the opposition members attempted to climb the speaker’s podium.

Investigation was being conducted with the help of CCTV footage to identify those who indulged in violence,Das said.

Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission Jyoti Panigrahi,who met the the woman constable in hospital,said “We have started an investigation. The manner in which she was heckled and assaulted needs to be condemned.”

“People are shocked over the incident that took place in Bhubaneswar yesterday. Odisha is known for its peaceful atmosphere,” the chief minister said.

Two major associations of police also threatened to agitate if those involved in the attack on the woman constable and others were not arrested immediately.

Congress has given a call for an Odisha bandh on Monday against alleged police excesses at the rally while the students and women wings of the ruling BJD planned to stage a dharna here tomorrow against ‘goonda raj’ by Congressmen.