BHUBANESWAR: The six-hour hartal called by the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) demanding the ouster of Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra over his alleged links with main accused in the Kalahandi lady teacher Mamita Meher murder case on Friday, was by and large peaceful.
Congress activists held demonstrations at several parts of the State including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack between 6.00 am and 12.00 pm. Normal life remained unaffected as offices, shops and business establishments were open in many areas of the State including the Capital city. Besides, public transport continued to operate and there was no report of blockade and ‘rasta roko’ from anywhere.
On Thursday, the Orissa High Court had debarred the party from enforcing any bandh and allowed it to only hold peaceful protests. Working president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Chiranjib Biswal said that Congress workers did not stop vehicular movement or forced closure of shops.
In Bhubaneswar, Congress activists staged demonstrations at Master Canteen and other areas. At Cuttack, party workers held demonstrations at Madhupatna square and other areas. Stating that the fight is not yet over, Biswal said that Congress will continue protests till Mishra is dismissed from the Ministry.
The ruling BJD, however, described the hartal call given by the Congress as a joke. The failure of the hartal is a warning for both Congress and BJP as the people of the State have rejected politics in the name of crime against women, BJD national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra told mediapersons. Patra said if Congress and BJP continue to politicise sensitive issues, people will reject them. The failure of the hartal has shown that Congress has become irrelevant in Odisha politics.