Headlines
Congress bandh call paralyses life in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, June 26
Normal life was thrown out of gear in Odisha as the Congress on Friday
called a shutdown protesting against the mismanagement of "Brahma
Parivartan" rituals at the Jagannath temple in Puri.
Train and
bus services were affected as Congress activists staged blockades at
several places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Balesore and
Sambalpur.
Several trains were stopped at different railway
stations by Congress workers while bus and other transport services
remained off the road.
Essential services like health services in
hospitals and 'nabakelabara' works were, however, exempted from the
bandh, said a Congress leader.
While vehicular traffic came to a
grinding halt, business and trading establishments remained closed in
most parts of the state.
Banks, government and private organisations remained closed at several places as well.
The agitators conducted picketing at several places in the state capital and burnt tyres on the roads to mark their protest.
Several
leaders including Pradesh Congress President Prasad Harichandan, senior
leaders Jayadev Jena, Bhakta Charan Das, Ranjib Biswal, Suresh Routray,
party deputy in-charge Subhankar Sarkar and several others courted
arrested, said a senior police official.
"The state government is
completely responsible for the mismanagement of 'Brahma Paribartan'. We
demand a judicial probe to inquire and the resignation of the law
minister and the temple chief administrator," said PCC president Prasad
Harichandan.
He expressed his gratitude to the people of Odisha for making the bandh a success.
The agitators allegedly damaged some vehicles at certain places, causing problems for commuters.
The
idols of four deities in the 12th century temple were replaced on June
16 with new ones after 19 years. The "Brahma Parivartan" ritual
involves the infusion of soul from the old ones into the new.
Mudslinging
erupted among the political parties, administration and temple
servitors after there was an inordinate delay in performing the ritual.