BHUBANESWAR: The Congress on Saturday turned the heat on Government in connection with the Pipili gang-rape. Its women’s wing took out a rally and burnt Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathi effigy in front of his official residence here. A delegation of the Odisha Mahila Congress, led by its working president Sandhya Mohapatra, submitted a memorandum, addressed to Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, to Raj Bhawan staff demanding resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the issue. The Chief Minister should immediately order a CBI probe into the incident as highly-placed influential BJD leaders are trying to suppress the matter, Mohapatra said. Alleging that Maharathi had sheltered the culprits in his farmhouse, she demanded his immediate removal. The Mahila Congress also demanded transfer of the Puri SP and security to the victim and her family members. Mohapatra announced that the Mahila Congress would launch a Statewide agitation demanding resignation of the Chief Minister for ‘inaction’ even after the incident was exposed by the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC). Meanwhile, OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik visited the rape victim in the SCB Medical, Cuttack, and discussed with her family members the measures taken for her treatment. Alleging that the State Government has not made any provision to bear the medical expenses of the victim, Niranjan said the expenditure is being met from the users’ fee fund of the medical. He called upon the people to come forward and assist the victim and her family. The Scheduled Caste Department of the OPCC has also threatened a Statewide agitation on the issue. Department chairman and former minister Ripunath Seth and State convener Bankanidhi Behera criticised Maharathi charging that the latter is trying to hush up the incident instead helping to nab the culprits who are from his Assembly constituency.
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