Bhubaneswar, Dec 21: Today since morning the whole of the city is blooming with the protest clash between the activists of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) and BJP. It all started at Ram Mandir square and continued at Master Canteen. The two opposing parties went on to the streets to protest against each other. Seeing the situation getting intense, police commissioner YB Khurania and DCP Satyabrat Bhoi immediately arrived at the areas and tried to normalize the heavy situations. Inspite of heavy deployment of police and security forces, protests, burning of tyres and vehicles damage were seen at all major locations of the city such as Mausima Chhak, Sishu Bhawan Chhak, CRPF Junction, Kalinga Studio Chhak and Vani Vihar Chhak, thus causing inconvenience to common people. The activists started picketing at many places and blocked roads. Regarding the issue connected with the BMC Mayor, the commissioner had already expressed commitment to bring the truth to fore still BJP conducted this day-long bandh. They burnt tyres at Khandagiri, Baramunda and Nalco square also and way laid the bikers and other commuters waiving their flags. Police took the saffron party leaders into preventive custody when the activists tried to vandalise city buses at Station square. Also 20 activists were lifted by police at Fire Station road for allegedly resorting to violence during bandh. Amidst very tight security, by some means chief secretary, home secretary and other secretaries somehow reached office although the BJP leaders Sameer Mohanty and Sameer Dey along with other party workers staged dharna ahead of the Secretariat. 25 platoons of police have been deployed at various locations of the city. Till now around 50 protesters have been detained as informed by the DCP Satyabrat Bhoi. It’s stated that the police will be examining the CCTV footage of the alleged ransacking of public properties and action will be taken accordingly.
BCJD’s Chinmaya Sahoo stated that his party opposed the bandh and appealed to the people to keep their shops open and other private organisations as to call for a bandh at a time of demonetization is foolishness.
Notably the BJP had announced that they will be holding a 12-hor bandh in the state capital today thus protesting against Jena and demanding the arrest and resignation of him in connection to his alleged links with engineering student Rishi’s death. On the other hand, in order to counter attack the saffron party’s move, activists of the students’ wing of the regional party conducted a bike rally from Vani Vihar to Master Canteen square.
