Normal life was thrown out of gear in Sambalpur on Thursday due to a dawn-to-dusk bandh call given by the BJP in protest against the arrest of senior BJP leader and former Sambalpur MlA Jayanarayan Mishra, who was sent to judicial custody on Wednesday.
Mishra was arrested by the police on the charge of wielding a sword and threatening police officials during the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in the city on Tuesday. The Hanuman Jayanti Samanwaya Samiti, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad supported the bandh.
All schools, colleges and other educational institutions, trading establishments, courts and Government offices remained closed during the bandh. While vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt, the agitators staged Rail Roko at the Khetrajpur railway station.
local BJP leader Nauri Nayak said, “The President of India has not given his assent to the prohibitory orders under Section 144-A CrPC. When there is no Constitutional provision for Section 144-A, how could the police arrest MishraIJ”