The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced a dawn-to-dusk hartal on Saturday registering its strong protest against the death of Kendrapada rape victim Sujata Bairagi. Expressing shock, party State unit president KV Singh Deo said the party would observe a 12-hour bandh (6 am to 6 pm) on Saturday over the insensitivity and inaction of the Government and police administration towards women atrocities.
Stating that essential services like drinking water supply and health services would be kept out of the purview of the hartal, he appealed the people to express solidarity with the deceased and her family members and make the hartal a success without resorting to violence. Sing Deo said that train and bus services are bound to be affected due to the hartal.
Accusing the Government of having failed in providing proper treatment that caused the death of the rape victim, who suffered burn injuries for being set afire after the heinous crime, Singh Deo demanded resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Health Minister Dr Damodar Rout.
State BJP spokesman Sajjan Saharma said since the Chief Justice of India is scheduled to inaugurate the prestigious Judicial Academy building at Cuttack on Saturday coinciding with the hartal day, the function would be kept out of the purview of the hartal and people who would go to attend the function would not be obstructed.
Meanwhile, according to official sources, the police have made elaborate arrangement to see that no untoward incident happened during the hartal.
BJP national Mahila Morcha president Surama Padhi, who led a demonstration before the official residences of the Chief Minister and the Health Minister, demanded resignation of the duo for their utter failure in taking steps to save the life of the innocent girl.
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Jayadev Jena on Friday said that nearly 5,000 women activists of the party would gherao the Assembly on August 20 protesting the deteriorating law and order situation and rising atrocities on women in the State.
“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has totally failed to provide safety and security to women. The case of Sujata has exposed the real status of women in the State. The rape victim died due to the negligence of the State Government in providing her proper treatment. Hence, the Chief Minister should step down immediately,” said Jena.