Jajpur: The Odisha bandh called by the Congress-led INDIA bloc evoked a response across Jajpur district on Thursday, with protests, road-side demonstrations and picketing reported from Jajpur, Vyasanagar, Panikoili, Jaraka, Chandikhole, Dharmasala, Bari and Badachana. At Jaraka, AICC member and Congress leader Madhusmita Acharya joined the protesters along NH-16 and said the bandh was aimed at drawing attention to the proposed mining law, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged errors in school textbooks. Referring to the SIR exercise, Acharya criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying the electoral revision should be transparent and ensure that no genuine voter was excluded. “The electoral process must protect every genuine voter and ensure transparency,” she said. Dharmasala Block Congress president Sanjay Rout, along with Congress workers and local residents, participated in the demonstration and raised slogans in support of the bandh. The protest affected normal activities at several places, with some shops and commercial establishments remaining closed and vehicular movement disrupted intermittently. Congress workers had also organised mobilisation programmes and torch rallies ahead of the bandh. Party leaders said the mining legislation, SIR exercise and alleged textbook errors required wider public discussion and corrective measures. Police personnel were deployed at major junctions, market areas and other sensitive locations to regulate traffic and maintain law and order. Congress and INDIA bloc leaders appealed to supporters to maintain peace and ensure that essential services, particularly emergency medical services, were not disrupted during the shutdown.
