BJD MPs protest in Parliament over crimes against women in Odisha

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs staged a protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament on Tuesday, decrying the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in BJP-ruled Odisha, particularly the surge in crimes against women and children. Carrying placards that read 'Mahilaon ki cheekh aur sarkar ki khamoshi' (the cries of women and the silence of the government) and 'Odisha BJP ka shaasan, apradhiyo ki shaan' (BJP's rule in Odisha, a pride for criminals), the members demanded immediate central intervention and a judicial inquiry into the recent "horrific" incidents.Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said, “Women and children in Odisha today are completely unprotected. The law and order situation is collapsing.”

VIDEO | Delhi: BJD MPs hold protest infront of Mahatma Gandhi statue at Parliament complex, alleging women and children are unsafe in Odisha.

Party MP Sasmit Patra (@sasmitpatra) says, “We the MPs of BJD are protesting as the women and children are unsafe in Odisha. The way we… pic.twitter.com/LbrW9BDPt3

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 29, 2025

BJD MP Sulata Deo echoed the alarm, accusing the BJP of ignoring the safety of the most vulnerable — women, Adivasis, children, and Dalits. "The situation is so dire that the US issued a travel advisory warning people against visiting Odisha," she said. "Even the Supreme Court called the Puri case ‘shameful'. When will this double-engine government stop sleeping at the wheel?" According to Deo, Odisha records an average of 15 such cases daily, which amounts to over 3,000 a year. These aren't just numbers. They're lives, families, futures being shattered," she added.