Bhubaneswar: In anticipation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Odisha on Friday, the Congress party initiated a six-hour hunger strike in the state capital, raising concerns over escalating violence against women and the deteriorating health care system.

The protest was led by Bhakta Charan Das, president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), along with Ajay Kumar Lallu, the AICC's state in-charge, who gathered in front of the party's state headquarters.

Das highlighted that over 5,000 individuals have been impacted by a severe diarrhoea outbreak across 11 districts, resulting in 17 fatalities. He emphasized that these victims deserve compassion from the government.

He urged both the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to visit the affected areas and listen to the grievances of those suffering.

The Congress leader claimed that incidents of violence against women are on the rise, citing over 65 reported gang rapes in the past year under the BJP administration.

He recalled Modi's strong stance during the Nirbhaya case in Delhi, questioning why similar incidents in Odisha have not elicited a response from the leaders.

Das expressed concern over the recent gang rape of a college student in Gopalpur, which has drawn national outrage, asking if the PM and CM feel any empathy for the victim and her family.

He criticized the BJP government for focusing on promises for 2036 instead of addressing current issues.

Lallu also condemned the BJP for the diarrhoea crisis, accusing the administration of failing to ensure safe drinking water for residents.

Former OPCC president Jayadev Jena remarked that daily reports of rape and gang rape indicate a complete breakdown of law and order in the state, while Odisha has received no special assistance from the Prime Minister, unlike Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.

In response, BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra accused the Congress of politicizing the Gopalpur incident, asserting that the government has acted decisively against the accused and that the public remembers the gang rape incidents from the Congress era, leading to their electoral rejection.