The State Youth Congress, Cuttack and Cuttack City district units of the party on Monday began a three-day dharna in front of the Collectorate here demanding resignation of Higher Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra, arrest of former Minister Raghunath Mohanty and transfer of Cuttack Collector Girish SN.
The dharna will continue till Wednesday when the State-level party leaders would join the agitation.
"We want the Higher Education Minister to be thrown out for his alleged involvement in the question paper leak. Raghunath Mohanty, who has gone underground ever since his daughter-in-law brought dowry torture allegations against him must be arrested", said Cuttack City Congress Committee president Muhammed Moquim.
On the allegations against Collector Girish, Moquim said the District Magistrate is working like a ruling party agent and harassing Congress workers. "The manner in which he showed his arrogance on Youth Congress workers last week and the subsequent police assault on Congress workers at the behest of the Collector are highly condemnable," he said.
Demanding transfer of the Collector, the party leaders had submitted a memorandum to the Central Division RDC on Friday last.
"Since the Government has not taken any action against the Collector and the erring policemen who assaulted and brutally injured nearly 15 Congress workers, we would stage a protest meeting here on Wednesday in which over 10,000 workers and some State-level office-bearers of the party will participate," Moquim asserted.
Nearly 300 Congress workers sat on the dharna in front of the Collectorate on Monday and a similar dharna would be held on Tuesday, the leaders informed.