CUTTACK: Normal life was thrown out of gear in Cuttack on Thursday owing to the 12-hour state-wide bandh called by the Congress in protest against the recent death of a girl student of FM Autonomous College over alleged sexual harassment by her HoD.
Seeking immediate resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, hundreds of Congress workers led by Barabati-Cuttack MLA Sofia Firdous took out a rally from the district collectorate raising slogans of ‘double-engine sarkar down down’, ‘Modi government hai hai’, ‘Mohan Majhi government hai hai’, etc. As per the decision taken earlier, CPI activists led by state executive member Amarendra Mohanty, extended their support and participated in the protest.
They also resorted to picketing, staging demonstrations and road blockades at Khannagar, Badambadi, Madhupatna and Jagatpur squares in the city besides in front of the CDA office at Arunoday Market, CMC office at Bikash Bhawan, DGP office and the Cuttack railway station.
Though healthcare and emergency services including medicine stores were kept out of the purview of the bandh, other shops and market complexes had downed their shutters on the day. Prominent business centres like Malgodown, Choudhury Bazar, etc., were also closed. Meanwhile, the Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal (CNBT) also wore a deserted look as buses stayed off roads leaving passengers stranded.
While government offices were locked, the Congress and CPI activists also staged dharna in front of banks, schools and colleges. Owing to the bandh, different educational institutions in the city also recorded low attendance of students on the day. The strike also affected footfall of patients at the SCB medical college and hospital.
DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo informed the media that the bandh passed off peacefully and no untoward incident were reported. “We had detained around 20 Congress activists who were indulged in picketing. They were released later,” he added.