Intensifying its protest against the arrest of former Nabarangpur MP Pradip Majhi and 18 other party members, the Chhatra Congress on Monday held a rally in Bhubaneswar demanding their immediate release. While the protestors led by Chhatra Congress president Itish Pradhan marched towards the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a bike rally, they were stopped by security personnel at Sishu Bhawan Square.
The police arrested many protestors along with Pradhan to prevent any untoward incident. later, the agitators burnt an effigy of the Chief Minister at Master Canteen Square.
“The UPA Government had introduced the land rights for tribals. Here, the Naveen Patnaik Government has failed to implement the same. Pradip Majhi is fighting for the cause of the tribals. Unfortunately, the State Government put him behind the bars only to suppress the voice of the opposition and tribals,” said Pradhan.
Meanwhile, PCC president Prasad Harichandan and senior party leader and former Kalahandi MP Bhakta Das met Majhi at the jail in Umarkote on Monday.
The party has called a Nabarangpur Bandh on Tuesday in protesting the arrest. Sources said the party would also observe a bandh in Kandhamal district to put pressure on the Government for release of the former MP and others.
Majhi and others were arrested on Saturday for allegedly ransacking the Raighar Forest Range office and beating forest and police officials during a demonstration.