Odisha bandh brings state to a halt as Congress protests over Balasore student death
allegedly due to sexual harassment by her department HOD, paralysed public transport, brought normal life to a standstill across the state, protestors staging dharna near Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s residence were rounded up by police in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday afternoon.
The bandh remained by and large peaceful till this report was filed but essential services were hit partially as vehicular movement on major roads and highways were disrupted by the agitating Congress workers.The dawn-to-dusk strike also affected train services over a dozen of railway stations as Congress workers resorted to ‘rail roko’ on the day.
The agitators detained Chennai-bound Coromandel Express for more than an hour at Bhadrak railway station at around 6 am, while departure of Utkal Express from Puri railway station was also delayed by at least 30 minutes due to dharna at the railway station.
“Timings of at least 10 trains were affected due to the bandh. However, the services have become normal now,” said an officer from the East Coast Railway (ECoR).Tension flared up briefly at Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar after agitating Congress workers tried to forcefully entre into the railway station.
However, they were blocked by the police and security personnel following a minor scuffle.
Long queues of commercial vehicles were witnessed in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Jajpur stretch of National Highway NH -16. Hundreds of trucks also remained stranded on Koraput-Jeypore stretch of NH 26 owing to the bandh.The bandh that began at around 6 am, received positive response across cities and rural areas with shops, business establishments and markets remaining shut.
Educational institutions remained closed as a precautionary measure, while thin attendance was witnessed in some of the government offices in different districts.
Security was beefed up around Lok Seva Bhawan, Kharvel Bhawan and other key government establishments in the Capital city in anticipation of protest by the Congress workers.Demanding justice for the family members of the deceased, who died by self-immolation, allegedly due to sexual harassment by her head of department in FM Autonomous College, Balasore, Congress workers burnt tyers and raised slogans against the BJP government across Bhubaneswar, Balaosre, Cuttack, Berhampur, Balangir and Sundargarh.
Apart from Congress, leaders and workers of CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, CPI(ML), NCP, RJD, and Samajwadi Party also joined the agitation. The bandh led to shut down of over 3,000 fuel stations across the state.We are also receiving huge support from general public for the bandh,” he said, while demanding a judicial inquiry into the matter.
“The bandh is not a political move. The Congress party is on the streets today to seek justice for the daughter of Odisha and to protect Odia Asmita,” said Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu.
All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba also joined the agitation and said that the Congress party will raise the issue in the upcoming parliament session.