Orissa Bandh by Congress today
Odisha Bandh on 10 Sep
The 12-hour bandh called by the Congress in Odisha today led to another flare-up in the state with party workers burning a bus in Bhubaneswar. In Cuttack, the Congress workers clashed with the police with the later resorting to a lathicharge.
The bandh has been called by Congress against alleged police crackdown on partymen during a rally on September 6.
More than a dozen trains were stopped at several railway stations including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Khurda Road, Berhampur and Sambalpur as bandh supporters staged dharna on the tracks, a spokesman of East Coast Railway said.
The police has already arrested around 70 Congress leaders and workers for blocking roads. A large number of preventive arrests have also been made.
Heavy security has been deployed through the state today; 51 platoons in Bhubaneswar and 25 have been put in place in Cuttack.
City bus services in many places like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri were suspended.
Shops, business establishments and commercial centres downed their shutter in major areas including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Balasore, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Rourkela, Baripada, Bhadrak and Angul, sources said.
Schools, colleges and other educational institutions remained shut in most areas.
“Our bandh call has evoked overwhelming support from the public. It is peaceful and complete success,” said Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Niranjan Patnaik.
“It shows people are against the BJD government headed by Naveen Patnaik,” he said.
