Odisha: Stray violence marks Congress’s bandh against fuel price hike
BHUBANESWAR: The state wing of Congress on Monday resorted to a six-hour ‘Odisha bandh’ to press the Centre and the state government to bring down fuel prices. Stray incidents of violence were reported in some places but the bandh was, by and large, peaceful.
Observed from 7 am to 1 pm, the bandh saw complete closure of educational institutes and partial disruption of public transport and commercial activities across the state. Incidentally, the protest coincided with another rise in fuel prices on Monday.
The price of petrol in Bhubaneswar was hiked to Rs 89.68/litre from Rs 89.42/litre on Sunday. The price of diesel went up to Rs 86.45/litre in the capital on Monday from Rs 86.13 the previous day.
A Congress activist dressed like Prime Minister Narendra Modi staged a protest on a bullock cart at Umerkote in Nabarangpur district. Some Congress supporters allegedly assaulted a few drivers of autorickshaws and cabs in Bhubaneswar during the bandh. “We have received overwhelming support from the public. We realize the inconvenience faced by the commuters, but our protest was aimed at eventually easing their hardship. The Centre and the state government should immediately slash central excise duty and VAT, respectively, on petrol and diesel,” Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik said.
The BJP criticized the Congress for organising the bandh. “International crude oil price is not an issue for Congress. They called the bandh to make their presence felt and overcome the trauma of losing their vote share and infighting,” the state BJP tweeted.
Senior MLA and deputy leader of BJP Legislature Party, Bishnu Charan Sethi, said fuel prices might come down if petroleum products are brought under the ambit of the goods and services tax (GST). “The Congress has become non-existent. They want to come in the limelight by holding such protests. Fuel prices are governed by an international price mechanism,” Sethi said. Senior BJP leader Lekhashree Samantsinghar said BJD had indirectly supported the Congress-led bandh by closing all schools, colleges and universities. “The Odisha government should reduce VAT on fuel prices as some states have done,” she added.
The BJD, meanwhile, demanded that the Centre slash duty on fuel. “People have been suffering due to the rise in fuel prices. It has led to a hike in the prices of essential commodities,” transport minister Padmanabha Behera told the media.
A number of people, whose livelihood and income were adversely affected by the Covid pandemic, also demanded an immediate reduction of fuel prices. “We do not think the bandh will bring any solution.But the governments should realize the financial plight of the people,” said Saktikant Nath, a salesman in a shop.
In Ganjam district, vehicular traffic was disrupted and shops and business establishments downed shutters during the bandh. Supporters of the bandh also resorted to picketing at different places. Buses stayed off the roads.
(With inputs from Hrusikesh Mohanty in Berhampur)