Bhubaneswar: Vehicular movement was disrupted at several places in Odisha on Wednesday due to the 12-hour shutdown called by Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) to press its six-point demands, including the resignation of the School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over textbook errors.
Supporters of the dawn-to-dusk bandh staged road blockade at several places, while shops and business establishments were seen operating normally in many areas.
Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) and Naba Nirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan (NYCS) have called the general strike from 6 am to 6 pm “over various demands.”
Several opposition parties, including the BJD, Congress and Left groups, have expressed support for the proposed bandh,
Members of the NNKS and NNYCS staged picketing and protests at several locations across the state to enforce the shutdown, which remained by and large peaceful amid tight security arrangements made across the state as a precautionary measure.
In Bhubaneswar, protesters blocked the National Highway near Baramunda bus stand and burnt tyres during the demonstration. The protesters raised slogans demanding the resignation of Gond over alleged errors in school textbooks.
Shops and commercial establishments in the state capital remained open in different localities, while vehicular movement was reported to be normal. Educational institutions, offices and other establishments functioned normally as the bandh appeared to have little impact.
A report from Bhadrak said that vehicular movement on the national highway was affected for nearly two hours in the morning, while shops, business establishments, schools, colleges and offices functioned normally.
The organisations claimed that the bandh received support from people across the state. Bus services were also affected in several areas during the bandh.
NNKS coordinator Akshay Kumar said the shutdown called by the organisation received public participation, claiming that people joined the protest against alleged textbook errors and demanded accountability from the state government.
Kumar said the bandh was announced through a non-violent approach and claimed that no damage to public property or incidents of violence were reported during the protest.
People across Odisha have supported the bandh and buses have also stopped plying, said a protester in Bhubaneswar.
Protesters blocked National Highways at several places from 6 am as part of the bandh.
Emergency services, including ambulances, fire service vehicles and vehicles of the electricity department, were exempted from the bandh and allowed to operate.
