The Congress on Friday raised questions on Odisha chief minister Mohan Majhi’s silence over the clash between party supporters and the police, which left several people injured during the “Vidhan Sabha Gherao” programme the previous day.

At a press conference here, state Congress president Bhakta Charan Das also accused director-general of police (DGP) YB Khurania of making a political statement on the agitation which turned violent.

Das alleged that the “peaceful agitation” turned violent because of a conspiracy hatched by the BJP.

Several people including security personnel were injured on Thursday after Congress supporters clashed with police in Bhubaneswar after being stopped from marching to the assembly, to press for their demand for a high-level probe into crimes against women that they alleged have increased during the tenure of the BJP, which came to power last June.

Claiming that 40 party workers were injured in the police action during the protest, Das said the state BJP president on Thursday evening visited the hospital to enquire about the injured police personnel.

“However, the chief minister, who holds the home department, neither visited them nor uttered a single word on the incident”, Das said.

Das said: “We condemn the statement of the DGP. He is threatening Congress workers and behaving in a partisan manner. Our people were not involved in any sort of violence during the rally on Thursday.”

Chairman of the media and publicity department, AICC, Pawan Khera said: “The people who are hitting the streets demanding security and safety for women are being called criminals. Over the last eight months, 20,000 women have gone missing in Odisha.”

Khera added: “The BJP is talking of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. But women have been the targets of sexual harassment. It is embarrassing that the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir came out in support of those who perpetrated the heinous of crime of rape. This is the character of the BJP. Women safety is a joke now. We will not budge from our stand until the girls feel secure in Odisha.”

Koraput Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka wrote to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha on Friday regarding a serious breach of privilege committed by the DGP and the deputy commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar. He also demanded that the matter be referred to the committee of privileges for immediate and appropriate action against the concerned officers.

In his letter to the Speaker, Ulaka said how he was illegally detained by police personnel on March 26 around 10.30am while attempting to enter the Odisha Assembly as an MP.

Even as the party’s verbal duel over Thursday’s clash with the police continues, all its 14 MLAs on Friday visited different temples here to perform puja praying for “good sense to prevail over the BJP” so that the government agrees to their demand to constitute a House committee to probe the crimes against women. .

The Congress also announced to organise Nari Satyagraha in all the districts of the state to highlight the issue of rising crime against women.

Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said: “We have offered puja to Lord Jagannath and urged the Lord to give good sense to them (the BJP). We urge the Lord to give them gyana (knowledge) and garima ( dignity).”

Additional reporting by PTI