KalingaTV News Network
Bhubaneswar: Traffic movement was affected and streets wore a deserted look in several districts of the state during the 12-hr Bharat Bandh, which was observed today by a number of anti-reservation groups to protest the violence during the April 2 countrywide shutdown by SC/ST groups.
Bandh impact was largely seen in the districts like Nuapada, Boudh, Nabarangpur, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada and Balangir districts where buses remained off the roads and educational institutes remained closed. Tension ran high in Khadiala block in Nuapada district after pro and anti-reservation groups had a faceoff on the reservation issue for quite some time and were later pacified by police.
Rudra Narayan Sena, a socio-cultural organisation held protests in the state capital Bhubaneswar starting from the morning and resorted to sloganeering and picketing at several key points in the city. Sena also tried to stage road blockade at CRPF Square by burning tyres, which was prevented by police by arrest of a group of its members.
“We want the reservation to be based on the financial condition of people rather than their castes. Only economic backward classes and poor should get quotas,” said a member of Rudra Narayan Sena.
The Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) also cancelled its semester examinations which were scheduled to be held today in the wake of the bandh. Now, the examinations would be held between April 12 and 20.
Notably, the Union Home Ministry had already issued an advisory to all states for the bandh. In its advisory the states have been told to be extra cautious in handling the situation.
While the call for bandh was given on social media by anti-reservation communities it aims at countering the April 2 bandh held by SC/ST community against a Supreme Court order for necessary correction in Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Kalinga AI