Amid widespread protests and criticisms that the Odisha police are biased and harsher on Opposition political parties at the behest of the BJD, the State police on Wednesday denied the charges reiterating that policemen have been asked to be neutral and impartial.
The statement came from Additional DG BN Jha on the day after receiving a memorandum from top State Congress leaders, who gathered here along with thousands of party workers to protest against police highhandedness, particularly against booking of some Youth Congress leaders under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC.
The YC activists had intercepted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s cavalcade in Bhubaneswar last month and pelted eggs at his car. Congress leaders claim that the YC leaders were trying to demonstrate and draw the attention of the Chief Minister to the growing unemployment situation in the State.
Almost all senior Congress leaders under the leadership of PCC chief Prasad Harichandan started arriving in the city along with their supporters since morning. Around noon, a massive procession marched towards the police headquarters after holding a rally.
The police made heavy deployment of force. Sources said around 30 platoons of police supervised by hundreds of officers threw a three-tier security around the police headquarters.
A six-member team of leaders headed by the PCC chief submitted a protest memorandum to Jha, who is in charge of law and order wing of the State police.
Congress leaders said the gathering in Cuttack was certainly a show of strength and unity of the party and threatened that if the police continue with their prejudicial stance, similar demonstrations would be held across the State in future.
Speaking to reporters after the demonstration, Jha said the Bhubaneswar issue is already in law court jurisdiction, and during investigations it would be clear whether cases have been registered under appropriate sections of relevant laws or not.