Normal life was thrown out of gear due to the 12-hour hartal organised by the BJP State unit in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. The activists protested the Government’s apathy in providing proper treatment to Mahakalpada rape and burn victim Sujata Bairagi who died on Thursday.
Commuters across the State faced a tough time as BJP protestors resorted to a road blockade and Rail roko at various places to mark the bandh.
Taking out a rally from the party office near Ram Mandir here, the party activists moved towards Bhubaneswar Railway station and sat on the rail track disrupting the schedule of many trains much to the chagrin of the passengers who had to undergo immense difficulties for being stranded at the station for long hours.
Many long-route trains, including Puri-Hatia Tapaswini Express, Puri-Yasavantpur Express and Sambalpur-Balangir Intercity were stopped at the platforms.
The party members blocked roads at Jayadev Vihar, Master Canteen, Rasulgarh square and Vani Vihar. They stopped all vehicles by picketing on the roads. Tyres were burnt at many places to obstruct vehicular movement.
Police arrested many BJP activists, including State party president KV Singh Deo, national General Secretary, Rajya Sabha MP Dharmendra Pradhan and senior leader Manmohan Samal, while they tried to march towards the Assembly by breaking the security barricades here at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg.
“Women are insecure in the State. We are protesting the Government’s apathy and insensitivity in regard to the growing cases of atrocities on women. law and order situation in the State has completely collapsed. Hence, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has no right to continue,” said Singh Deo adding that people supported the hartal spontaneously across the State.
As preventive measures, the Commissionerate police made adequate arrangements to prevent any untoward incident during the hartal.