BJP, BJD activists enter in clash as 12-hour Bhubaneswar bandh begins

Bhubaneswar: The activists of BJP and BJD clashed at Master Canteen Square here on Wednesday morning during the 12-hour Bhubaneswar bandh being observed by the saffron party.

The state unit of BJP has called Bhubaneswar shut down demanding action against BMC Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena for his alleged link in the murder of engineering student Asutosh Mohanty alias Rishi and sex video.

The scuffle ensued at two different locations-Master Canteen square and Rammandir square-as the activists of the two parties hit the street to oppose each other.

According to reports, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) members took out a bike rally from Vani Vihar to Master Canteen protesting the BJP’s bandh call. As the BCJD members reached Master Canteen, a scuffle ensued between them and BJP activists who were staging road blockade there.

“We opposed the bandh and appealed to the people to keep open their shops and other private organisations. At a time when people are facing problems due to demonetisation, call for a bandh is irresponsible”, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal’s Chinmaya Sahoo said.

Twin City Police Commissioner YB Khurania and Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi rushed the spot following the incident.

The BJP workers started picketing at many places and blocked roads making inconvenience for the commuters. The sloganeering BJP workers burnt tyres at Khandagiri, Baramunda and Nalco square and way laid the bikers and other commuters waiving their flags.

Shops, business establishments, educational institutions are closed and vehicular movement are stalled. Emergency services like hospitals, ambulance services, and railway services are, however, excluded from the purview of the bandh.

Some BJP activists were taken into custody by cops while they were trying to ransack city buses at Master Canteen. As many as 20 activists were detained from Fire Station Square while they were attempting to stop vehicles.

Adequate security arrangements have been organised to prevent any untoward incidents during the bandh call.

As many as 25 platoons of police force have been deployed in the city to avoid any untoward incident, said Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi.