Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The youth wing of the Odisha Pradesh Congress staged a protest on Monday at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar, alleging rising prices of essential commodities and increasing unemployment in the state. The demonstration saw hundreds of Youth Congress workers shouting slogans and demanding action. National president of the Indian Youth Congress, Uday Bhanu Chib, participated in the protest.
According to reports, the protesters, led by Chib, gathered in the forenoon and attempted to march towards the Chief Minister’s official residence. However, police intercepted the march, preventing the agitators from reaching their destination. Despite this, the protesters continued their demonstration, holding placards and voicing their grievances for an extended period.
“We gathered here to highlight the people’s demands and make the Chief Minister aware of the issues. However, our voices are being suppressed through police action. This agitation will only intensify in the future,” said Yasir Nawaz, a local youth leader, while speaking to the media.
Notably, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) officials and members staged a similar demonstration in the streets of Bhubaneswar earlier on January 6. They denounced the BJP government’s inability to manage inflation and demonstrated against the soaring costs of necessities. BJD activists gathered at Lower PMG during the demonstration, brandishing banners and posters and chanting anti-BJP chants. They alleged that the Mohan Majhi government was ineffective in addressing the problems of the middle class and impoverished.
