Protesting against the allegation levelled against Talcher BJD MlA Braja Pradhan for seeking sexual favours from a girl in exchange of employment to her father, the ruling party on Saturday observed a 12-hour bandh in the coal city.
While shops and other business establishments remained closed, vehicular movement was affected as BJD members staged road blockade at several junctions. Notably, it was alleged on Friday that Pradhan had asked a college girl via WhatsApp to spend a night with him, in return of which he would provide a job to her father. Even as the MlA denied the incident and the authenticity of the WhatsApp chat could not be independently verified, posters of the online chat were pasted across Talcher.
According to the contents of the posters, the 19-year-old girl had approached the MlA seeking an employment for her father. The MlA, however, asked the girl to spend a night with him for a job for her father.