Bandh in coastal Orissa towns to protest dropping of Minister

Bhubaneswar, May 18 (UNI) Ruling Biju Janata Dal(BJD) supporters, owing allegiance to former Orissa Panchayat Raj Minister Damodar Rout, today observed a bandh in Kujang and Ersama towns to protest the dropping of the leader from the Naveen Patnaik government.

Mr Rout, a senior political leader and Secretary General of the BJD, was dropped along with three other ministers by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on May 16, a day prior to the first expansion of the cabinet in which six new ministers were inducted.

The BJD supporters forced the business establishments to down their shutters while vehicles were off the road in support of the bandh call. However, government offices and banks were seen functioning normally in these two small towns which fell under Mr Rout's constituency.

Sources said bandh supporters criticised the Chief Minister for dropping a strong and capable minister like Mr Rout from the cabinet and announced a Paradip 'Bandh' on Sunday to lodge their protest.

Meanwhile, BJD sources here indicated that action would be taken against the partymen and the four dropped Ministers if they tried to create any 'situation' which would cause damage to the party's image.

UNI DP KK PA RK2006