There was a scuffle between the student wing of the Congress and the police during a protest in Bhubaneswar related to the Students' Union Election.
The Congress activists were detained as they attempted to march towards the Odisha Assembly. "The right to hold Students' Union elections is a fundamental democratic right of students," they argued.
Arpit Pattnaik
A scuffle broke out between the students' wing of the Congress and the police during a protest in Bhubaneswar. The students' wing of the Congress had staged a demonstration demanding student union elections in Odisha. Earlier, the Odisha government had announced that the student union polls would be held next year.
The Congress activists were taken into preventive custody when they tried to march towards the Odisha Assembly. "Student Union election is a democratic right of students," said a student leader of Congress. The Odisha government claimed that there is no time this year, which was condemned by the Congress. They questioned whether the minister doesn't have time or the ABVP is not ready for the polls.
"We will continue with our agitation for holding Students Union Elections in the state," said another protester. "Earlier, the BJP was also opposing when Student Union Elections were not held under BJD rule. Now BJP has formed a government and now it is not holding the polls. We have tried to gherao the Assembly as voices of students are being suppressed," added another protester.
In response to the allegations, ABVP state secretary Arijit Patnaik said, "Congress is not in power at the Centre or in the state. They are making absurd remarks. ABVP had demanded a calendar for the higher education department and also for student union elections. The Congress has been involved in corruption, and they are doing such drama as their leaders are having an identity crisis."
