Normal life was paralysed in Kandhamal district on Monday due to a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the Congress and the BJP protesting the killing of innocent tribals by security forces at Kurtumgarh in the district during an anti-Maoist combing operation on Friday night last.
While shops and business establishments, banks and educational institutions remained closed, vehicular movement came to a grinding halt as activists of both the parties staged road blockade by burning tyres at several places and junctions in Baliguda, Phulbani, G Udayagiri and K Nuagaon, sources said.
As many as seven companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 20 platoons of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and 16 platoons of police force were deployed in the district to maintain law and order.
Congress leader and former MP Pradip Majhi said, “People of Kandhamal have fully supported the bandh. Such incidents of killing innocent tribals are not new. Similar incidents had also taken place in the past in Rayagada, Nuapada, Malkangiri and Kalahandi districts. Agitation will be held across Odisha until action is taken against Kandhamal SP Pinak Mishra and Southern Range IG Amitabh Thakur.”
“The report of the (Kandhamal) Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) says that the tribals were fired from a distance of 3 metres. The SOG jawans knew that they were innocent people but still opened fire at them,” Majhi claimed.
On the other hand, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said the State Government has already ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Notably, five villagers, including two women and a child, were killed during an exchange of fire between Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans and Maoists near Gumudumaha village under the Baliguda police limits in Kandhamal on Friday night.
After getting information regarding movement of Maoists, the SOG had ambushed the ultras. During crossfire from both the sides at the Malapanga forest, an auto-rickshaw carrying villagers came in between, as a result of which the five persons were killed.
From the BJP side, Sukant Panigrahi, district party president lingaraj Dalbehera, Bhagaban Mahanty and Debnarayan Pradhan led the party’s protesters.