Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
A 12-hour bandh, jointly called by the Congress and seven other opposition parties—CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, CPI(ML), NCP, RJD, and Samajwadi Party—brought daily life to a standstill across multiple districts of Odisha on Thursday.
The protesters demanded justice for the 20-year-old student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore, who died of self-immolation in protest against alleged sexual harassment by a professor.
The shutdown disrupted transport and essential services, with major highways and railway stations blocked. In Bhubaneswar, Congress workers obstructed traffic on NH-16, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded. Similar blockades occurred at Jaraka Chhak in Jajpur, Sundargarh, Koraput (NH-26), and Sambalpur, where women protesters staged a rail roko.
Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das said the bandh received overwhelming public support and reiterated the demand for higher education minister Suraj Suryabanshi’s resignation. Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu called the incident “the last nail in the coffin” for the state government, accusing it of suppressing dissent and denying justice.
The protests stemmed from the death of the student at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, days after she set herself on fire in protest against the administration’s inaction to her complaint. Police have since arrested Sanir Kumar Sahu, the head of the education department, and college principal Dilip Ghose.
In Bhubaneswar, tensions flared as Congress workers tried to storm the railway station. Security forces intervened, preventing major disruptions despite minor scuffles. Protesters also burned tyres and blocked roads, triggering severe traffic congestion.
Bus services from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack were suspended early in the day, leaving commuters stranded. Auto-rickshaws and taxis were off the roads in several areas, severely affecting office-goers and daily wage earners.
Though no major violence was reported till noon, the bandh had a widespread impact across both urban and rural parts of the state.
