A dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the BJP district unit over the deteriorating law and order situation in the district, threw normal life out of gear on Wednesday.
BJP members were seen picketing at key junctions of Angul and Banarpal towns by blocking roads.
The effect of the shutdown was evident particularly in Angul and Banarpal towns where life was virtually crippled. While the roads wore a deserted look, most of the shops and business establishments downed their shutters. The educational institutions also remained closed.
Vehicular communication including public transport remained off the roads. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded as the saffron party members blocked National Highway-55 under Banarpal tehsil. Even though police were deployed in adequate numbers to prevent any untoward incident, the bandh was peaceful.
Notably, the BJP had called for the bandh after an eight-year-old girl was raped and thrown in a garbage dump. Besides, the party demanded to expedite the probe into the eyes of two dead bodies being gouged out in the morgue of the District Headquarters Hospital within a span of three days.