Bandh calls by Congress hits life in Odisha

A down to dusk shutdown called by state Congress party, hits the daily life severely in Odisha. The Congressmen had called this shut down in the protest of police action taken on its workers during a party rally here last week, officials said.

According to reports, this day long shut down hits the public transport very badly in several towns as many buses and taxis went off the roads. Trains were stranded at different railway stations as Congress workers squatted on railway tracks.

In the state capital Bhubaneswar, workers of the state's main opposition party gathered near bus stands, railway stations and government and private offices and picketed them.

Around 20 Congress workers have already been taken into custody as a preventive measure in Bhubaneswar, Deputy Commissioner of police Nitinjit Singh told reporters.

At least 100 people, including protestors and several policemen, were injured Thursday when the rally by the Congress against the Naveen Patnaik-led government turned violent.

Police used water cannons, lobbed teargas shells and used canes to disperse the irate crowd after the rallyists allegedly stormed the barricade and attacked police personnel.

While police said it used force after the crowd indulged in vandalism outside the assembly, the Congress accused police of using force without provocation.

Police have arrested 38 people for the violence Thursday.

--With IANS Inputs--