Bhubaneswar, Feb 27: The Orissa unit of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has called for a dawn-to-dusk Kandhamal bandh Saturday in protest against the district authority’s refusal to allow the former’s international general secretary Praveen Togadia, to address a scheduled meeting.
In a bid to prevent Togadia from holding any public meeting in Phulbani, the district authority has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPc in the district for a week. It has also deployed forces at strategic points to avert any law and order
problem.
Kandhamal collector N Thirumala Nayak said the prohibitory orders have been imposed in view of the apprehensions of a breach in peace and public order, following the visit of Togadia.
Security in the district has been beefed up and police patrolling intensified after the VHP called for a Kandhamal bandh to protest Togadia’s entry in the district.
State VHP leaders criticised the action of district authority on imposing a ban on the visit of Togadia, while allowing other minority leaders to visit the area in the past. Sources said the Orissa unit of VHP has decided to go ahead with the scheduled meeting in Phulbani, as it had already obtained permission to hold the meet, but it was not clear as to whether Togadia will visit Phulbani to address the VHP rally.
A four-member VHP delegation boycotted the meeting convened Thursday by the collector to persuade VHP leaders not to allow Togadia to address the rally Saturday. UNI
