Bhubaneswar, 16 July (H.S.): The Odisha capital witnessed heightened tensions on Wednesday as a protest led by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) turned violent near Lower PMG Square. The agitation, demanding justice for the Fakir Mohan Autonomous College student who died after attempting self-immolation over alleged faculty harassment, escalated into a full-blown confrontation between protestors and security personnel.
The BJD rally, which aimed to gherao the Lok Seva Bhawan, saw thousands of party workers descend on the high-security zone. The situation turned volatile when protestors broke through the initial line of police barricades, prompting police to resort to water cannons and tear gas to control the crowd.
As clashes intensified, over 100 BJD workers were detained. Several party leaders sustained minor injuries during scuffles with police. Among the injured were Bobby Das, Dani Ghadei, Pranab Prakash Das, and Pritiranjan Ghadei. Sources confirmed they were later taken to local hospitals for medical attention.
Dramatic visuals from the protest site showed broken barricades, forceful use of water jets, and clouds of tear gas. Eyewitnesses reported that chaos unfolded shortly after demonstrators pulled down the first set of barriers. In response, police implemented crowd dispersal tactics that resulted in sporadic injuries and significant disruption across Lower PMG and nearby areas.
The protest comes a day after the BJD observed a half-day bandh in Balasore, expressing outrage over what it termed a systemic failure by the government to act on the victim’s initial harassment complaint. Protesters in Bhubaneswar held placards demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Higher Education Minister, citing administrative negligence.
As of the latest updates, Commissionerate Police remained heavily deployed around the Assembly premises. Drone surveillance and layered barricading continued as precautionary measures to prevent further escalation or regrouping of protestors.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
