Sundargarh: The 12-hour bandh call by Odisha Mahila Morcha of BJP, seeking a CBI probe into the recent deaths of Rourkela assistant collector Sushmita Minz and Udit Nagar police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Alisa Narmi Lugun, affected life in Odisha’s Sundargarh district on Thursday.
The impact of the bandh is visible in the district headquarters, Rourkela and Bonai, Gurundia, Lahunipada and Koida blocks. While offices, banks, shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed due to the bandh, vehicular traffic went off the road as party workers picketed at different junctions since 6 am by burning tyres. Reports said that the agitators are not even allowing bicycles on the roads.
Emergency services, however, have been excluded from the ambit of the bandh.
The bandh is being seen as attempt by the saffron party to use the mysterious deaths of the government officials, which have snowballed into a major issue, as an ammunition to corner the state government.
Terming the BJD government as anti-tribal, former Union Minister and Sundargarh BJP MP Jual Oram had earlier spoken about resentment among the tribal population over the two incidents. He also mentioned about several loose ends in the assistant collector’s case and claimed that there could be a link between the two deaths.
Rourkela SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra, however, has refuted claims that Lugun was the PSO of the assistant collector and any possible links in their deaths.
Also Read: Sundargarh Bandh Over CBI Probe Demand Into Death Of 2 Odisha Govt Officials Tomorrow
Notably, tribal leaders in the district have also threatened to gherao the district collector’s office on October 6 over the same demand.
