BHUBANESWAR: Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), youth wing of BJP, and anti-liquor activists scuffled with the police at different places in the city during their protest on Thursday. BJP youth wing came out in a procession to gherao state assembly protesting unemployment problem in the state, while anti-liquor activists blocked National Highway 16 here demanding total prohibition in the state.BJYM workers tried to enter into state assembly from lower PMG side, the road in front RBI office and from the end of 120 infantry battalion and had a clash with the security personnel. Security has been beefed up around the state assembly to stop the protestors. More than 500 BJYM activists were detained by the police.BJYM state president Tankadhar Tripathy said the state government has provided employment to only 26,000 youth in the last 10 years out of 22 lakh youth registered themselves with the employment exchanges for jobs since 2009. “It even failed to conduct job fair after taking money from thousands of unemployed youths. Youths have been looted by the state government,” he added.Prohibitionists led by Milita Nisha Nibarana Abhiyan (MONNA) blocked NH 16 at Satsang Vihar protesting sale and manufacturing of liquor in the state. Police tried to pull them out of the NH to clear the traffic. Around 300 people were detained by the police during the blockade.“The police pulled us out of the road forcefully like dead body. They behaved with us rudely as if we are criminals. Is it Naveen government’s ‘Maa ku samman’ (respect to mothers)? We will give befitting reply to Naveen,” said Draupadi Rout from Kendrapada.Malay Tripathy, a prohibitionist of MONNA, said the police attacked their women activists at Satsang Vihar. “We are demanding total prohibition because liquor has snatched away peace from the villages and families. It has become a major problem in the state. Why the government is not interested to discuss on this issue,” he added.Due to the protests, major roads like Rasulgarh-Vani Vihar, Vani Vihar-Raj Mahal square, Acharya Vihar-AG Square and Power House square-Jaydev Vihar got heavy traffic due to the protest. The road in front of Utkal Mandap and near 120 Infantry Battalion were closed by the police to control the BJP youth wing protestors.DCP Anup Kumar Sahoo said 50 platoons of police force were deployed in the city to control the anti-liquor activists and BJP youth wing members. Around 300 persons from anti-liquor movement and 500 from BJP youth wing have been detained by the police, he added.“We have arrested 17 anti-liquor activists for manhandling police personnel and disrupting traffic by blocking NH 16 at Satsang Vihar. We will also arrest BJP youth workers for attacking an agitating gram rakhi at Lower PMG,” he added.BJP MLA Rabi Naik staged protest inside the state assembly opposing police excess on agitating BJYM workers during the protest rally. Later BJP MLAs staged a walkout when finance minister started presenting the interim budget in the house.BJD MLA Puspendra Singhdeo said the BJP should ask the Centre why it failed to create jobs for youths of the country. “The Central government had promised to provide two crore employment every year. What happened to the jobs? Modi government has cheated the youths of the country,” he added.

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