Odisha Bandh Disrupts Normal Life
INDIA bloc parties protest mining law, textbook errors and alleged irregularities in electoral roll revision
- 12-hour Odisha bandh began at 6 am across the state.
- Public transport and businesses remained largely shut.
- INDIA bloc parties protested mining law and alleged SIR irregularities.
- Essential services were exempted from the shutdown.
GG News Bureau
Bhubaneswar, 8th Oct: Normal life was disrupted across several districts of Odisha on Thursday as INDIA bloc parties observed a 12-hour bandh against the new mining law, alleged errors in school textbooks and irregularities claimed in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The bandh, which began at 6 am, saw business establishments, petrol pumps, shops and several educational institutions remain closed during the morning. Public transport, including buses and autorickshaws, was also largely off the roads.
Protesters carrying party flags and banners staged demonstrations at major junctions and blocked roads and national highways in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Balasore, Rayagada, Kendrapara, Bolangir, Berhampur and Sambalpur.
In several areas, protesters burnt tyres and stopped buses, trucks, taxis and autorickshaws as they sought to enforce the shutdown. The disruption left commuters struggling to reach their destinations, with many waiting at bus stops after public transport services were suspended.
Essential services, including hospitals, ambulances, fire services, medicine shops and milk supply, were kept outside the bandh, according to a Congress leader.
The bandh has been supported by several INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party, RJD and JMM.
The parties are demanding the repeal of the MMDR (Amendment) Act, the resignation of state minister Nityananda Gond over what they describe as errors in school textbooks, and action over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.
Senior Congress leader Suresh Routray, speaking in Bhubaneswar, also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of “vote chori” and reiterated the demand for Gond’s resignation over the distribution of textbooks containing erroneous information.
The protests come amid heightened political opposition to the electoral roll revision exercise, with Opposition parties alleging irregularities while the authorities have maintained that the exercise is part of the electoral process.
Security arrangements were strengthened across Odisha to prevent any untoward incident. A senior police officer said efforts were being made to ensure that demonstrations remained peaceful and within the bounds of constitutional rights.
Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S Dev Dutta Singh said discussions had been held with various stakeholders to ensure that protesters conducted their demonstrations peacefully and within the limits of their constitutional rights.
