Call for Bargarh bandh in protest against violence on Hanuman Jayanti in Sambalpur

Bargarh: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have called for a 12-hour Bargarh bandh on Wednesday in protest against the attack on a rally related to Hanuman Jayanti celebration in .

The call was later supported by local unit of Hindu Mahasabha.

The VHP, in a release, stated that the bandh will be observed peacefully in Bargarh town and its activists will take out a bike rally to garner people’s support.

As per the bandh call, markets, shops, business establishments, government and private offices and schools, colleges and educational institutions in the town will remain closed from 6 am to 6 pm. No vehicles will be allowed to move during the bandh period, the VHP stated.

However, emergency services like ambulances, Fire Brigade vehicles and others will be exempted. The VHP and Bajrang Dal have sought the cooperation of the people of Bargarh in observing the peaceful bandh.

In a related incident on the day, a high-level BJP delegation, including Union Minister Bisheswar Tudu, MPs Jual Oram and Suresh Pujari, MLAs Nauri Nayak, Shankar Oram and Kusum Tete, state BJP president Manmohan Samal and his predecessor Sameer Mohanty was not allowed to enter Sambalpur city.

The delegation was going to meet those injured in the violence, members of Hanuman Jayanti Samanwaya Samiti and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner.

The Sambalpur district administration suspended Internet services for another 24 hours till 10 am on Wednesday even as the curfew was further relaxed.

Itt may be noted that the administration had imposed curfew in the city after some miscreants pelted stones at a bike procession carried out a day before the Hanuman Jayanti in Sambalpur.