The Pradesh Youth and Student Congress on Monday burned an effigy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here at Master Canteen Square demanding withdrawal of Section 307 and release of the arrested youth leaders who had protested against the Chief Minister “democratically” while he was en-route to a Utakal University function recently.
Pradesh Youth Congress general secretary Kamal Charan Tandi and many members from Youth and Student Congress took out a procession from the Congress Bhawan to Master Canteen demanding withdrawal of the imposition of Section 307 (attempt to murder) and release of the Congress activists, failing which, they said, the Congress would intensify its agitation against the BJD Government.
Among others, senior Congress leaders Suresh Kumar Rautaray, Manoranjan Dash and Sankuna Kanar participated in the rally. Former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, maintaining that political protest is common in a democracy, also condemned the arrest of Youth Congress leaders and demanded immediate release of all the arrested persons.
After visiting the arrested youths at the Jharpara jail here, Patnaik said as per statistics the number of registered unemployed youth is alarmingly increasing while 50 percent of post of lecturers is lying vacant in Government colleges in the State. Similarly, the Utkal University has lost its status at the national level in last 15 years, he added.
“The Government is not a condition to challenge the voice of youths. So to avoid more protests in future Naveenbabu is putting youths in jail by slapping attempt to murder and conspiracy charges,” said Patnaik.