FM College student’s death case: BJD’s Balasore bandh opposed, traders resist ‘forced’ shutdown

The BJD's eight-hour bandh in Balasore over a student's death saw public defiance, with shops remaining open and traders opposing the shutdown for disrupting livelihoods.

FM College student’s death case: BJD’s Balasore bandh opposed, traders resist ‘forced’ shutdown

FM College student’s death case: BJD’s Balasore bandh opposed, traders resist ‘forced’ shutdown

time

The eight-hour bandh called by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Balasore on Wednesday faced stiff resistance from the general public and local traders, many of whom refused to comply with the shutdown. The BJD called the shutdown over the death of a student of Fakir Mohan College.

Shops remained open in several areas of the town, despite the bandh call. Eyewitnesses said that BJD workers attempted to forcibly shut down shops, leading to verbal altercations between party members and shopkeepers.

Local traders expressed their frustration, stating that such bandhs are severely impacting their daily earnings and creating inconvenience for the public unnecessarily. 

“People are already struggling, and these political bandhs only add to our troubles,” said one shopkeeper.

Many residents also voiced displeasure over the disruptions caused, particularly to daily commuters and small business owners.

While no major incidents of violence were reported, the situation remained tense in certain pockets as arguments between political workers and the public escalated. Police were deployed at key locations to prevent any untoward incident.

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