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Bhubaneswar: Extending support to nationwide strike call given by various farmers' unions, the Congress party in Odisha, the State units of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Samajwadi party (SP) have decided to observe the Bandh in State from 6 am to 6pm on Thursday.
The leaders of these parties took the decision unanimously at a joint meeting led by the top leaders of the Congress in Odisha.
They have called upon the people of the State to make the bandh a great success. "The vehicular communication, bus services, railway services will remain suspended from 6 am to 6 pm on Thursday so also the business establishments. The people of the State are requested to join the protest and make it a success. All the banks, government offices will also be shut," said Ali Kishore Patnaik, State General Secretary of CPI (M).
However, the emergency services will be exempted from the bandh, he added.
Meanwhile, Congress party which earlier in the day announced its support to the bandh has slammed the BJD for its silence over the farmers' protest.
Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik said “The BJD’s silence (on the issue) has exposed its real face. While regional parties across the country have been supporting the farmers, it is the BJD alone in Odisha which remained silent. The party is anti-farmer and part of the BJP.”
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), however, said that it has always been with the farming community.
BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said that the regional party has always been with farmers.
“The state government has extended its moral support to the farming community and it has made its stance very clear on this matter in Parliament,” Mishra said.
Speaking on the Bandh, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, "It is important to clear the confusion in the minds of farmers. We are hopeful that the matter will be resolved in the upcoming meeting between the Centre and farmers on December 9. The BJD has been demanding two-fold hike in MSP."
Notably, farmers have been protesting against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The decision to intensify the agitation was taken after the fifth round talks with the Central government remained inconclusive on Sunday.
The farmer leaders of different unions have demanded a total repeal of all the newly enacted laws.
