A 12-hour bandh call given by Vishwa Hindu Parisad (VHP) in Rorukela passed off peacefully here on Saturday. The bandh was total since all shops, commercial establishments, educational institutions and public transport system were closed in the city during the bandh hours.
Different groups of VHP blocked roads at different locations of the city in the morning hours by burning tyres. The VHP claimed the bandh a success.
Sources said tension had gripped Rourkela city after a group of people from minority community staged a road blockade on the main road on Thursday, demanding arrest of a youth, who had allegedly made some objectionable postings about their religion. The place of road blockade being the route of return car festival, the movement of Rath was delayed. Rath movement got normalized after police vacated the road blockade.
However, activists of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP had staged a protest demanding action against people of minority community, who had staged a road blockade. Since, tension had escalated in the city with the possibility of a communal tension, prohibitory orders were clamped and 20 platoons of police force were deployed in the city. The VHP had given a 12-hour bandh call on Saturday, protesting the interruption of the return car festival. Sundargarh Collector Bhupinder Singh Punia, who camped in the city and monitored operation, claimed the bandh to be peaceful. “The bandh was completely peaceful and we are hopeful that normalcy in the city will resume soon,” said Punia.