Bhubaneswar: The massive protest by more than 50,000 drivers in Odisha’s capital on Monday not only threw city traffic out of gear but also triggered a security scare with the police and administration caught unprepared by the scale of demonstration.
The state capital looked under siege as thousands of protesting drivers, belonging to the Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangh, filled the road outside the state Assembly, Secretariat and Lok Seva Bhawan, a high-security zone. No police barricades or arrangements were in place to stop them from reaching the high-security area. The drivers even poured into Sachivalaya Marg, which is out-of-bound for protesters.
The protesting drivers also climbed the iconic warrior horse replica of Konark Sun Temple at the Station Square.
As the drivers swarmed every key road, traffic roundabout and square, a plan to take the mortal remains of legendary Odia musician and singer Prafulla Kar to Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya was cancelled and had to be moved to Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Opposition parties in Odisha on Tuesday termed it a failure of the state Home department, police and intelligence.
In a scathing attack on the Naveen Patnaik government, Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja said, “This was a result of intelligence failure. Police seemed helpless and it didn’t seem like the state government has a Home department.”
The BJP too lashed out at the BJD government. “The protest was government-sponsored, which is why police were silent all through. We support their (drivers) demands but their conduct was highly condemnable. The strike exposed the failure of police and administration,” state BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said.
Paralysed for more than two hours as the drivers unleashed chaos in the city, police finally swung into action and herded the drivers to Lower PMG Square. But the police were vastly outnumbered as the protesters took over the entire Mahatma Gandhi Marg.
As more drivers joined the protest, soon PMG Square, Ram Mandir Square, Vani Vihar, Satsang Vihar, Jaydev Vihar and Master Canteen Square seemed under siege.
Commuters had a harrowing time at Shriya Square, Raj Mahal, Vani Vihar, Cuttack-Puri Road, Ram Mandir and Janpath. Unable to control the drivers, police resorted to diverting vehicles which worsened the traffic congestion. According to reports, some commuters and journalists were also attacked by the protesters.
Police said the drivers only had permission to protest at the designated dharna site on Mahatma Gandhi Marg.
Twin City Police Commissioner SK Priyadarsi said no violence was reported during the protest though there were road blockades.
State Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera on Monday said the Odisha government will form a committee to look into the demands of the drivers.
The drivers’ demands include enacting a special law for their protection, Rs 20 lakh compensation to kin of drivers killed in accidents, insurance coverage of Rs 10 lakh, pension for drivers attaining 55 years of age, housing scheme and higher education facility for children of drivers and restrooms every 100 km on national and state highways.
