Kendrapara: The Kanika Shahid Smruti Sansad today observed a bandh at Rajkanika in Kendrapara protesting the ‘undignified’ soil collection from memorials of martyrs Basu Sethi and Bisuni Madhual.
The idea of soil collection by the State Freedom Fighters Association (SFFA) and BJD for construction of a martyrs’ tower in Bhubaneswar was being opposed by the locals in Rajkanika as they have been crying hoarse about the alleged neglect by the state government towards the villages and families of these martyrs.
However as per reports, on Wednesday, unidentified persons secretly collected the soil from the memorials without the knowledge of families of the martyrs or the Sansad members sparking off the protests.
Following the incident, a complaint was filed against Mahakalpara MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak at the local police station for allegedly supporting the collection of soil.
Meanwhile a good number of shops at Rajkanika downed their shutters in support of the bandh. The freedom fighters Basu Sethi and Bisuni Madhual were gunned by the British on April 23, 1922 during the non-cooperation movement at Meghapur village under Rajkanika block.