By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 26, 2015 : Normal life on Friday came to standstill across Odisha during the 12-hour statewide protest by opposition Congress against what it called “serious irregularities and violation of tradition during the Brahma Parivartan of the Lord Jagannath and other deities in Puri on June 16”.

Pic – Arabinda Mahapatra

The protest, however, spared essential services like health services in hospitals and ongoing Nabakelabara work from the Bandh.

Educational institutions, commercial establishment were shut down and vehicular traffic came to standstill as Congress activists staged road blockades at various places by placing burning tyres on the roads. They also stopped trains by picketing in railway stations, reports reaching here said

Earlier in the morning, Congress workers went to the city railway station and detained the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express and several other trains. East Coast Railway (ECoR) today cancelled five passenger trains, short terminated two passenger trains and controlled the movement of 29 trains at different railway stations to meet the situation arising out of the dawn-to-dusk Odisha Bandh called by the Congress.

Stray incidents of violence were reported from some places as angry protester torched two bikes here and damaged several vehicles, including a tourist bus from Tamil Nadu. There were reports of tourists being beaten up. Some malls were also vandalised in the city.

The police drove away a group of Youth Congress activists who tried to force their way into the State Secretariat premises here.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reached late in the office through backside of the main gate amid tight security and stayed there for about 45 minutes.

The entire route from AG Square to CM’s residence has been sealed with police men guarding all entry points to the route.

More than 100 Congressmen had been arrested for violating prohibitory orders, commissioner of police Dr R P Sharma said

Police arrested several senior Congress leaders in Twin City Bhubaneswar and Cuttack including Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan, former OPCC chief Jayadev Jena, Sarat Patnaik, Bhakta Charan Das, AICC Odisha saha pravari Subhankar Sarkar, Suresh Routray, Chiranjibi Biswal, Kishore Patel and Sibananda Ray to clear the road for the Chief Minister’s carcade.

Besides, several Congress leaders, including the Youth Congress president and Student Congress president, were arrested by the police.

“Repression will not be tolerated. Fall of Naveen Patnaik government is imminent,” said Harichandan while being taken away by the police in a police van at AG Square.

Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra thanked and expressed his gratitude to the people of Odisha for making the bandh a success.
“The Congress’s only demand is the resignation of the Chief Minister. We will never allow the government to escape by merely taking action against lowly employees,” Mishra added.

Senior Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das said the chief minister should admit the gross failure of his government in the proper management of Shri Jagannath Temple administration and resign from his post respecting the sentiments of the people.

“We demand judicial probe into the delay in Brahma Parivartan, resignation of the Law minister and the chief minister responsible for such unfortunate incident,” said Congress leader Chiranjibi Biswal.

BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said the statements made by Congress leaders, had left no room for doubt that the party was trying to revive its sagging fortunes through such protests. “People will give fitting reply at appropriate time”, he curtly remarked.