Bhubaneswar: The Biju Mahila Janata Dal, the women wing of the ruling Biju Janata Dal today staged protest demonstrations in all the 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha against the unprecedented rise in prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and essential commodities.
In the state capital, the members of Biju Mahila Janata dal held protest demonstrations before the ADM office while in other parts of the state the demonstrations were held before the district magistrate and Block development offices.
The party leaders and workers carrying banners and posters slammed the BJP at the centre squarely responsible for the rise in oil prices and other essential commodities.
On Sunday, the ruling party staged a dharna before the Raj Bhawan here for the failure of the centre to check the rising prices of petrol., diesel, and cooking gas besides the essential commodities.
Party leaders threatened that the agitation will be intensified in the state and taken to every village if the BJP did not initiate measures to check the rise in fuel prices.
The ruling party also had brought out a cycle and bullock cart rally in the state capital on October 30 last in protest against the hike in oil prices.
The Biju Yuva Janata Dal and the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal have decided to stage protest demonstrations before all petrol pumps in the state from November 5 to November 7 against the centre’s inaction in controlling the hike in prices of fuel which the party said had hit hard the common man during the covid pandemic.
However, the Opposition Congress and the BJP have described the ruling BJD’s agitation plan as a well-orchestrated strategy to divert the attention of the people on the hue and cry over the brutal murder of school teacher Mamita Meher on October 8.
Both the two opposition political parties have been demanding a CBI probe or SIT probe into the incident and also dismissal and arrest of Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra for his involvement and proximity with the prime accused Gobind Sahu.
Senior Congress leader and MLA Suresh Chandra Routray questioned the BJD party stating why the party was silent for the last two years and not raising any protest against the hike in the oil prices.
He alleged that the BJD is trying to cover up the gruesome murder case of Mamita Meher in the wake of statewide agitations by the Oppositions and serious allegations on the role of the minister and the police in the murder case, by organising such protests across the state.
Both the Congress and the BJP have deputed a central team to the state for an on the spot investigation into the murder case and the two teams after visiting the parents of the deceased teacher, have demanded immediate arrest of Mr Mishra and his sacking from the council of ministers to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the murder.
