Overview

• BJD women leaders Pramila Mallik and Snehangini Chhuria say the BJP government has allowed crimes against women to surge during a breakdown in law and order.
• Over 3,054 rape cases were reported in the past year according to data presented in the Odisha Assembly, with abduction and murder also on the rise.
• More than 600 police stations that once housed dedicated women and child help desks are now largely defunct, choking off key reporting channels for victims.
• The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee will stage a six-hour hunger strike on Friday and BJD has warned of statewide street protests if authorities fail to act.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to mark the BJP state government’s first anniversary in Odisha on Friday, and opposition parties are demanding he personally review the state’s security situation.