Bike Rally Amid 12-Hour Bandh In Odisha’s Kantabanji Over Death Threat To Local Congress MLA

Kantabanji: Hundreds of Congress workers took out a motorcycle rally while observing dawn-to-dusk bandh at Kantabanji in Odisha’s Balangir district on Tuesday, protesting against the death threat to local MLA Santosh Singh Saluja.

“The 12-hour bandh call has been given by the Nagar Congress. We demand stricter action against those involved in the act,” said Saluja.

Members of the Congress party also urged the business community of the western Odisha town to support the bandh and close their offices and shops till evening. With students, appearing for Class X and XII board exams, educational institutes and vehicular movement have been exempted from the purview of the bandh.

Panic spread in Kantabanji town on Monday after banners bearing ominous threats directed at the local Congress MLA  were found outside a girls’ high school and near the RMC. The banners written in a red colour paint also had an image of an unidentified individual. The text in Odia language said, “I will kill MLA Santosh Singh Saluja within 15 days”.

The MLA’s family members and supporters immediately filed an FIR in this regard and demanded enhanced security for Saluja and a thorough investigation into the matter.

While police have banners, sub-divisional police officer Gouranga Sahu said efforts are on to identify the miscreants behind the threat message.