Six out of the 16 Congress activists arrested here during the bandh called by the partyon Tuesday over the Mahanadi issue were taken ill due to their hunger strike and were admitted to hospital on Thursday.
Of the six Congress activists, four, including district unit president Pratap Pradhan, were shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack after their health conditions deteriorated. The rest two were undergoing treatment at the Angul District Headquarters Hospital.
Notably, police had arrested the Congress workers, including three minors, during the bandh. The arrested Congress workers had resorted to a hunger strike in the Angul jail since then.
Jailer Janardana Malik said the fasting Congress workers suffered from dehydration.
Party worker Chndrakanta Dhala said, “We have resorted to the hunger strike protesting the vindictive arrest of 16 party activists under Section 307 of the CrPC. The case lodged against us has no grounds.”