BJP observes 12-Hour Bandh in Sambalpur, Normal Life Hit

Normal life came to a standstill in Sambalpur in Odisha, as the BJP threw its full weight behind former MLA and ex-Minister Jayanarayan Mishra, who was arrested and sent to jail for showing the sword during the Hanuman Jayanti procession and allegedly threatening the cops.

The Hanuman Jayanti Samanwaya Samiti, Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are supporting the BJP in the bandh call. All business establishments and shops remain closed, while buses and other vehicles stayed off the roads. Even, schools, colleges and educational institutions along with courts were closed.

The demonstrators staged a ‘rail roko’ in Sambalpur. The BJP leaders have accused the BJD Government of pursuing vendetta politics against Jayanarayan Mishra, as the old charges of 2013 were invoked against him along with new charges.