Police use water cannons as Congress workers attempt to ‘Gherao’ Odisha Assembly

Tensions escalated outside the Odisha Assembly on Thursday as Congress workers clashed with police while protesting the suspension of 14 party MLAs. The demonstrators attempted to breach police barricades, prompting security personnel to use water cannons to disperse the crowd. The protest, organized against what Congress called an "undemocratic move" by Speaker Surama Padhy, also highlighted rising crimes against women in the state.

The Assembly had witnessed high drama earlier this week when Speaker Padhy suspended 12 Congress MLAs for disrupting House proceedings. As the disturbances continued, the suspension was extended to two more legislators, barring them from attending sessions for seven days. On Tuesday night, police entered the Well of the House to evict the suspended members, triggering an outcry from the Opposition. Congress leaders demanded a House Committee to investigate crimes against women since the BJP took power in Odisha last year.

Visuals from the protest site showed Congress workers throwing chairs, shouting slogans, and attempting to march toward the Assembly. Police personnel, armed with helmets, shields, and batons, blocked the protesters' advance. As tensions rose, security forces deployed water cannons, but demonstrators continued their agitation in small rallies across the area, beating gongs and waving placards. Congress leaders condemned the police action, calling it an attempt to stifle dissent.

The situation further intensified on Wednesday when Opposition MLAs claimed police were restricting their movement outside the Assembly. Meanwhile, ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) members, led by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, performed a purification ritual inside the House. Sprinkling 'Ganga Jal' with mango leaves, they alleged that the Assembly had been "spiritually polluted" by the entry of policemen into the Well. Former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo justified the act, stating, "We sprinkled Ganga Jal to purify the Assembly, which was defiled when the Speaker allowed police intervention."

Amid the ongoing standoff, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das urged party workers to maintain peace despite police crackdowns. Congress’s ‘Vidhan Sabha gherao’ programme led to heightened security measures, with 80 police platoons, including 10 women-led units, deployed across Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena confirmed that the Odisha Swift Action Force had been positioned to prevent any escalation.

Congress leaders accused the state government of trying to suppress opposition voices through police force and preventive arrests. AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajay Kumar Lallu, alleged that party workers were being detained in large numbers to prevent a larger protest. As political tensions rise in Odisha, the standoff between Congress and the ruling BJP-BJD alliance is expected to intensify in the coming days.