Around 40 people on Friday staged a protest in Bhubaneswar against the alleged attacks on minorities by Hindutva outfits.
The protest took place when President Droupadi Murmu was in the city to attend the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas conclave.
The protesters said that the minorities in Odisha were at the receiving end of the atrocities being perpetrated by Hindutva outfits with total impunity. They alleged that the BJP government of the state had failed to act against the accused.
Sukanti Singh, a resident of Balasore, said that she was tied to a tree along with another woman and was assaulted by a group, who accused them of indulging in conversions.
The incident took place on December 26. Sukanti, a Hindu, had accompanied Subhasini Singh, a converted Christian, to Mukhura village in Balasore under Remuna police station, where they were attacked by a Hindutva group.
The face of Subhasini Singh was disfigured. She said: “I survived by sheer luck. We were rescued by the police.”
Later, the police arrested four persons in connection with the case.
Sunaram Marandi, a resident of Mayurbhanj, said: “When I returned to my house on December 16, I was accosted by a group of people. They asked me what was I was carrying with me, and got angry when I said that I had a copy of the Bible in my bag. They warned me, saying that I should be carrying a copy of the Gita. Then they assaulted me.”
“The state government is trying to paint a rosy picture of what is happening in Odisha. But the reality is dark and entirely different,” said one of the protesters.
Congress leaders Amiya Pandab and Manas Chaudhury, who had brought these people from across the state to Bhubaneswar, said that they intended to highlight their plight.
“The people have been constantly targeted by the Hindutva outfits. But instead of taking note of these incidents and taking actions, the state government is busy organising the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. Since the Mohan Majhi government assumed power, the instances of attacks on minorities have increased. The people involved in these attacks should be taken into custody. A hate campaign has been started against these communities, and it must be stopped,” said Pandab.
He added: “The people coming from outside should also know the dark side of the state. The members of the Hindutva outfits are behind these attacks. We had earlier raised the issues and are now addressing the issue so that these attacks on innocent people stop.”
Manas Chaudhury said: “The atmosphere of social harmony and peace must prevail. Unfortunately secular values are under threat under this government.”