Odisha Transport Minister urges drivers to call off strike

In a video message the driver union’s president Prashant Menduli yesterday announced that the Odisha Drivers Mahasangha will not stop any vehicle or driver going to Bhubaneswar to participate in Rahul Gandhi’s rally on July 11

By Himanshu
Drivers strike in Odisha
File Photo

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Bhubaneswar: Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, the Minister of Commerce and Transport, Steel and Mines of the Government of Odisha has appealed the agitating drivers to call off the ongoing strike.

In an X post on Thursday the minister urged the drivers to call off the strike. He wrote in the tweet that the government, who is in favour of the drivers, has already heard the matter and discussed with the drivers for execution of the demands. Hence, now there is no need of any further agitation.

He further wrote in the tweet that on July 11, the agitators have decided to relax the strike for one day so as to give passage to the vehicles that will proceed to Bhubaneswar for the Congress rally. Now, it has been politicized, he wrote.

It is to be noted that yesterday, in a video message the driver union’s president Prashant Menduli announced that the Odisha Drivers Mahasangha will not stop any vehicle or driver going to Bhubaneswar to participate in Rahul Gandhi’s rally on July 11 following requests from several Congress leaders including OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das.

Through the video, Menduli also appealed to all striking drivers not to block any Congress vehicles on roads across the state, ensuring their smooth passage. However, he clarified that they have not called off the strike.

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Finally, in the X post, the Odisha Transport Minister also urged that the agitation by innocent drivers should not be named as driver leaders’ agitation. And the minister urged the drivers to call off the strike.

Also read: Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangha to relax protest for Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Bhubaneswar

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