Medha Patkar resorts to dharna before Orissa CM's house

Bhubaneswar, Oct 15 (UNI) Hundreds of anti-POSCO agitators, led by social activist Medha Patkar, today staged a dharna before Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik's residence here, demanding an open debate on the establishment of POSCO Steel project in Paradip.

Ms Patkar yesterday threatened to intensify the agitation against the POSCO project if Mr Pattnaik did not discuss the issue with the agitators sitting on dharna for the past 20 days, by this morning.

Before the deadline, hundreds of activists of the Rashtriya Yuva Sangathan and Navanirman Samiti proceeded to the Naveen Nivas from the M G Marg where they were sitting on dharna to protest the ''apathetic'' attitude of the Chief Minister.

Police were unaware of the protestor's move to march to the Naveen Nivas and hence could not prevent them to occupy the road leading to the Chief Minister's residence.

The law enforcing agents immediately swung into action and arrested 50 of the demonstrators from the spot. This peeved the activists, who started raising slogans against the Chief Minister.

Ms Patkar was asked to meet Mr Pattnaik with some of her activists to hold discussion but she demanded that the demonstrators be released first before any discussion with the Chief Minister.

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