Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday criticized opposition parties for failing to acknowledge the decline in crime against women and children under the BJP government.
Speaking during the budgetary demand debate for the Home Department in the Odisha Assembly, Majhi stated that crimes against women, including sexual harassment (down 13.5%), public disrobing (down 22.3%), trafficking (down 29.4%), and dowry-related deaths (down 20.1%), have significantly reduced since his government took charge in June 2024.
The discussion took place in the absence of BJD and Congress MLAs, who walked out in protest over the alleged mistreatment of opposition members and the suspension of 14 Congress legislators for their “unruly” behavior.
Majhi criticized Congress for demanding a House Committee on women’s safety, asserting that the BJP government has a zero-tolerance policy toward crimes against women. “Can they cite a single case where we failed to act?” he challenged.
The Chief Minister also emphasized his government’s commitment to modernizing the police force and took a swipe at former CM Naveen Patnaik, questioning his continuous absence from Assembly proceedings.
With strong opposition backlash and a heated political climate, the BJP government is standing firm on its stance that law and order have improved in Odisha under its leadership.