Sambalpur-Puri Intercity Express Stopped During Bharat Bandh Stir In Odisha

Sambalpur: The impact of Bharat Bandh call by Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was felt at several places in Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Balangir districts of Odisha on Sunday.

The Dalit leader had called for a nation-wide shutdown against the Supreme Court ruling that states were not bound to provide reservation in government jobs and quota in promotion.

Bhim Army’s Odisha-in-charge Hemant Azad said, “If it is not a fundamental right then the Government of India should add it to the list of fundamental rights.”

They are also opposing Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register for Citizens (NRC) and thrashing of Dalits in recent past.

In Sambalpur, tyres were burnt and roads blocked to disrupt traffic. The agitators also stalled the Sambalpur-Puri Intercity Express during a ‘rail roko’ at Khetrajpur railway station.

Commercial establishment too downed shutters in these three districts.

On February 9, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta of the apex court had ruled that there is no fundamental right to reservations in appointments and promotions under articles 16(4) and 16(4A) of the Constitution.

The bench said that it was the discretion of the governments, either at the state or central level, to grant reservation in promotions.

The ruling has since evoked a sharp response from various stakeholders and political parties.