The demand for action against Minister of State Home Dibya Shankar Mishra over the schoolteacher Mamita Meher murder case continued to grow as the BJP resorted to a shutdown in two districts, Jharsuguda and Gajapati, on Saturday.
Seeking justice for Mamita and her family, the party observed a dawn to-dusk bandh (6 am-6 pm) in Gajapati and an eight-hour shutdown (6 am-2 pm) in Jharsuguda disrupting normal life in both districts.
Shops and other commercial establishments, banks, offices and educational institutions in Jharsuguda district remained closed while vehicles stayed off the roads as BJP activists staged picketing at several places.
They demanded justice for family of the 24-year-old teacher of Sunshine Model School, Mahaling, in Kalahadi district and resignation of Minister Mishra for his alleged involvement in the murder case.
Condemning the Chief Minister’s silence over the issue, a protester said “The concerned Minister should resign from his position on moral grounds or the CM should dismiss him at the earliest. Besides, a CBI probe should be conducted into the murder case.”
The scene was quite similar in Gajapati district with BJP workers staging road blockades and picketing at various places. While vehicular movement came to a standstill, all shops remained closed as part of the bandh.