Bhubaneswar, July 4 (UNI) Activists of the Odisha Student Congress staged a protest in front of the Raj Bhawan today, demanding the immediate implementation of 27 per cent reservation for Other Backwards Classes (OBCs) in education and employment in the state.
Undeterred by the heavy downpour, the protestors, led by Student Congress President Udit Pradhan, continued their demonstration for several hours.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhaktacharan Das also joined the protest, extending his full support to the students’ demands.
Speaking at the protest, Pradhan stated that although OBCs constitute nearly 54 per cent of Odisha’s population, they continue to be deprived of their constitutional rights.
He said the Student Congress has launched this agitation to protest the injustice and draw the attention of both the state government and the governor to the matter.
Later, a memorandum was submitted to Governor Raghubar Das, urging him to initiate legal and immediate steps for the implementation of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in Odisha.
Criticising the BJP-led state government, Pradhan condemned the recent announcement of an 11.25 per cent reservation for OBC students as an act of injustice and humiliation for the community.
He asserted that the Odisha Student Congress would continue to take up this issue seriously and intensify pressure on the state government to ensure that OBCs are granted their constitutional rights.
Pradhan also called upon OBC youth, students, and conscious citizens to unite and join the movement to safeguard the Constitution and fight for their rightful entitlements.
