Opposition protest just a battle to decide runner-up in state politics, say BJD leaders
Bhubaneswar: The dawn-to-dusk bandh and hartal called by the Congress and the BJP over the Kunduli tragedy Wednesday remained mostly peaceful except for some incidents of violence.
Normal life was hit across the state as shops, business establishments, markets, offices, banks and financial institutions remained shut. Movement of vehicles came to a halt across the state during the shutdown.
The impact of the bandh was not much in certain areas including some localities in the capital where traffic gradually resumed by 1.30 pm. Some businesses remained open throughout the day.
But rail and bus passengers faced problems due to the bandh. Around 14 trains were stopped at different places like Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Bhadrak as strike supporters blocked tracks leaving a large number of passengers stranded.
Roads were deserted as buses stayed away fearing violence. Schools and colleges across the state were closed to ensure the safety of students. Examinations scheduled for the day were shifted to other dates, officials said.
Elaborate security arrangements were in place and the bandh-cum-hartal remained by and large peaceful, police said.
In Bhubaneswar, the BJP and Congress activists were seen picketing major junctions and blocking roads. At the Biju Patnaik International Airport in the capital, passengers had a hard time as no cabs were available.
Some political activists had a minor scuffle with the police at the Master Canteen square and cops detained nearly 50 BJP workers. Around 200 activists and leaders of both the Congress and the BJP were held while trying to break the police cordon and move towards the secretariat here, police said.
The impact of the bandh was felt in Cuttack, Puri, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Rourkela, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Koraput.
Both the Congress and the BJP had called a bandh and hartal separately after the 14-year-old Dalit girl from Musaguda village in Koraput, who had been allegedly gang-raped by four security men in a forest near Soripadar in Koraput, committed suicide Monday. “The CM should step down and action must be taken against the police for its shoddy probe into the rape case,” OPCC President Prasad Harichandan told reporters.
Senior BJP leaders like Surama Padhi and Pratap Sarangi also blamed the government and said the stir would be intensified in coming days
BJD leaders alleged that the strike by the opposition was not for justice, but was a tussle between the Congress and the BJP to decide the runner-up in state politics.
Bikes come to ministers’ rescue
Bhubaneswar: As traffic movement was hit in the capital due to the 12-hour shutdown called by the Congress and the BJP, ministers were seen pillion riding to the Secretariat. Steel & Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick and Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda travelled on bikes to the Secretariat. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also arrived at the Secretariat with tight security. Both Mallick and Panda, however, denied that the strike had any effect and said that they sometime come to the Secretariat riding pillion on motor cycles. In view of the strike the government had tightened security around the Secretariat. Officials were asked to enter the Secretariat before 9.30 am. The front gates of the Secretariat building were closed at 10.15 am and staff and others were asked to enter and exit via the rear gate.
PNN
