Bhubaneswar: Protests erupted on Janpath with workers of different parties taking out bike rallies and knocking on shop shutters to check if business establishments were open or shut.
“Hooligans came banging on the shutters to check if we were working inside or not,” said a bank manager on Janpath on condition of anonymity.
Traffic on NH-16 reportedly has come to a standstill while commuters are stuck at bus stands and railway stations. However, there have been reports of traffic easing at places such as Kalinga Hospital square.
In Cuttack, Congress workers supporting farmers on Bharat Bandh, engaged in a scuffle with the police at Badambadi square during the protest.
Timings
There has been confusion about the timings of Bharat Bandh protests. The National Farmers’ Union had earlier said that the protests would be held from 11 am to 3 pm. However, the parties supporting the bandh in Odisha such as Congress, CPI-M, NCP, SP, SUCI, etc are observing it from 6 am to 6 pm. The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has not actively taken part in the bandh.
