March to Naveen Niwas: BJP Mahila Morcha activists scuffle with police, arrested

Bhubaneswar: Tension ran high at the Airport Traffic Square near Forest Park in the city today after hundreds of activists of BJP Mahila Morcha tried to march towards CM Naveen Patnaik’s residence protesting his silence over State Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy’s remark on Pipili gang rape and scuffled with police.

As per the report, the women wing of the saffron party under the leadership of president Pravati Parida and BJP state unit secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar set out for Naveen Niwas in the noon by holding bangles. As the policemen deployed on duty tried to intercept them a scuffle took place between the two sides.

While the activists tried to meet the CM to demand Maharathy’s removal from his ministry, the policemen didn’t allow them and took up a number of them into custody.

The Bhubaneswar District and Session’s Judge Court acquitted the prime accused in the case, Prasant Pradhan and his brother Sukant Pradhan, due to lack of evidence on December 24.

Soon after the verdict Maharathy in his statement on the verdict said: “I welcome the court verdict. It is victory of the truth. The victim girl has got justice.”

Both the Opposition parties BJP and Congress criticized the act of Maharathy and demanded action against him.