The Congress on Thursday appealed to people to peacefully observe the six-hour hartal called by it to protest against the Chief Minister’s silence on the Mamita murder case and protecting Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra.
Senior party leaders Dr Debashis Patnaik and Aryakumar Jnanendra urged all likeminded political parties and civil society organisations to support the strike call.
“The Chief Minister is blindly supporting his tainted Ministers despite allegations from various quarters and sharing dais with a Minister when the entire State is on boil to give justice to Mamita,” said Jnanendra.
State Congress media cell convenor Satya Prakash Nayak clarified that th party has not asked people to forcibly close shops, rather to observe the hartal silently.
A motorcycle rally was organsied by the NSUI in Bhubaneswar urging people to observe the strike.