The Left parties' call for a six-hour-long Odisha Bandh on Thursday over the rising prices of fuel and other essential commodities affected normal life in many parts of the State.
Members of CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc and CPI(ML-Liberation) held demonstrations holding placards and shouting slogans during the bandh which began at 6 am and continued till 12 pm.
The Congress extended its support to the bandh. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Niranjan Patnaik led a procession of party workers from the Congress Bhawan to the Bhubaneswar railway station and joined Left leaders.
Patnaik thanked his party workers for joining the bandh in almost all districts and also expressed happiness over the public response to the bandh. The protestors resorted to road blockades and rail roko in different towns. They also blocked the railway track at the Bhubaneswar railway station disrupting train services for some time.Shops and other business establishments remained closed in many parts of the State. Vehicles stayed off the roads; and petrol pumps and financial establishments remained shut.
CPI State secretary Asish Kanungo claimed that the shutdown call received spontaneous support of the people in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, all industrial towns like Angul, Baleswar, Rourkela and other parts of the State.The Left leaders demanded immediate withdrawal of taxes imposed on fuel by the Centre and the State Government to bring down the prices of essential commodities to provide relief to the common people, who have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.Adequate police forces were deployed to maintain law and order. There were no reports of any untoward incident from any part of State.