Odisha bandh total, commuters face hard time

BHUBANESWAR: The dawn-to-dusk Odisha bandh by the Opposition Congress and BJP on Wednesday over the suicide by the alleged Kunduli gangrape victim was total and peaceful barring a few minor incidents.

Public transport remained paralysed as protesters blocked trains at various places while buses and local transport system remained off the road causing severe inconvenience to the people who had set out for urgent business. Commercial establishments and banks downed their shutters. Educational institutions remained closed though attendance in Government offices was near normal.

In Bhubaneswar, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, ministers and senior bureaucrats were escorted to the Secretariat under tight security cover even as workers of the two Opposition parties picketed on the roads and major Government establishments across the city.

In Koraput, the centre of all actions after the alleged gang-rape came to the fore, the bandh was total. Congress laid siege to Jeypore while BJP picketed across Koraput town. With people staying indoors, normal life was hit. Koraput-Visakhapatnam National Highway 26 wore a deserted look as vehicular movement came to a grinding halt.

Similar reports of peaceful, yet complete bandh, came in from Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts. In southern districts of Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam and Malkangiri, the bandh passed off peacefully.

However, Congress workers resorted to violence in Cuttack damaging several vehicles during the bandh.
The State police had made elaborate arrangements to keep a watch on the protestors and prevent any untoward incident. However, barring clashes at a few places, no major incident was reported. In Pipili, supporters of Congress and BJP clashed leaving one injured.

At least 14 trains were detained at various places of the State due to the bandh and blockade by the activists of BJP and Congress. Some trains were cancelled en route and rescheduled by East Coast Railway. Bangalore-Tinsukia Superfast Express, Sambalpur-Puri and Sambalpur-Rayagada Intercity Express were stopped at  Bhubaneswar railway station.

At Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, travellers had a hard time as no cab service was available. Many of the fliers had to be detained for several hours. Several Congress activists, led by PCC president Prasad Harichandan, courted arrest while BJP leaders, including Samir Mohanty, Bhrigu Buxipatra and  Pravati Parida were also detained by the police.