Many members of Odisha Youth Congress, who were staging a protest against the state government over the alleged gang rape of a minor girl in Dhauli area of Bhubaneswar on December 10, were detained by the Odisha Police on Saturday.
The protestors were held after they attempted to “gherao” the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, demanding swift action against the incident and holding the government accountable.
The activists also scuffled with police personnel and hurled eggs at them while trying to gherao the CM’s residence.
Holding posters and banners, the Youth Congress workers, led by state president Ranjit Patra, took out a march towards the chief minister’s official residence on the AG Square-Raj Bhavan road.
One of the detained protesters, during the agitation, said, “We demand the immediate resignation of Mohan Charan Majhi.”
ରାଜ୍ୟରେ ବିପର୍ଯ୍ୟସ୍ତ ଆଇନ ଶୃଙ୍ଖଳା ପରିସ୍ଥିତି ପ୍ରତିବାଦରେ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ପ୍ରଦେଶ ଯୁବ କଂଗ୍ରେସ ସଭାପତି ଶ୍ରୀ Ranjit Kumar Patra ଙ୍କ ନେତୃତ୍ୱରେ ରାଜ୍ୟ ଯୁବ କଂଗ୍ରେସର କର୍ମକର୍ତ୍ତା ମାନଙ୍କ ପକ୍ଷରୁ ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀଙ୍କର ବାସଭବନ ଘେରାଉ। pic.twitter.com/TQyXN2Ed3v
— Odisha Youth Congress (@IYCOdisha) December 20, 2025
When police personnel prevented the Congress workers midway, the party supporters hurled eggs at the police force. The police detained several Youth Congress activists and dispersed the protestors.
Youth Congress leader Syed Yashir Nawaz alleged that the law and order situation has collapsed in the peace-loving state of Odisha during the BJP regime.
“A college student was gang raped in Gopalpur beach in June, while another similar incident happened at Dhauli, which is treated as the symbol of peace. The government and police failed to provide security to women,” the Congress leader alleged.
Earlier on Wednesday, BJD Mahila Morcha President Snehangini Chhuria criticised the BJP-led Odisha government over the alleged gang-rape of the minor girl near Dhauli, claiming a rise in crimes against women in the state.
Chhuria said the incident was not an isolated case and claimed that several such crimes had occurred in recent months.
“The gang rape near Dhauli is not an isolated case. In Bhubaneswar, there have been 28 cases of gang rape and rape in the last two months. Nowhere are women safe under the BJP-led Odisha government. Odisha has become a hub of sexual assault against women,” she alleged, while speaking to news agency ANI.
BJD chief and former Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik also slammed the BJP government over the incident stating that barbarism and anarchy have crossed their limits and that the state capital is becoming unsafe.
“Criminals are fearless, and the government is losing credibility. How much more distorted does law and order have to become before the government wakes up? The government’s incompetence in preventing crime is instilling fear in the general public. The BJP government’s failure to ensure a safe environment for women in the capital exposes its gross negligence and insensitive conduct. The government must take strict measures to ensure women’s safety from criminal tendencies. Not after the incident occurs, but the government must be proactive in preventing it beforehand,” Patnaik wrote on X.
Reacting to the protest, BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said the state government led by CM Mohan Charan Majhi is committed to take legal action whenever, whoever breaks the law.
In the Dhauli incident, the police have arrested the accused persons, and they were sent to jail, he said, adding that the case has been categorised as “Red Flag” to provide speedy justice to the victim.
“Some youths of the Congress are playing drama to divert the public’s attention from the infighting within their party,” Biswal said.
