Odisha Bandh on July 17: Congress Calls Protest, Police Assures Tight Security
Police denies use of rubber bullets during BJD’s protest; says public safety top priority during bandh
Odisha is set to witness a statewide bandh on Thursday, July 17, called by the Congress and opposition parties in protest over the recent death of a student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, which has sparked political unrest across the state. Addressing the media, Twin City Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said robust law-and-order arrangements have been made to ensure peace and prevent any untoward incident.
“We respect the democratic right to protest, but public safety is our utmost priority,” he said, urging all parties to exercise restraint. Amid claims that rubber bullets were used during Wednesday’s BJD protest in Bhubaneswar, Singh categorically denied the allegation. “We used only water cannons, five rounds of tear gas, and limited, proportionate force. Rubber bullets were not used,” he clarified.
The BJD’s protest near Lower PMG Square turned tense when demonstrators breached barricades and tried to storm Lok Seva Bhawan, demanding justice in the student’s case and calling for the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Higher Education Minister Nityananda Gond.
To ensure accountability, police deployed AI-enabled surveillance cameras and drones to monitor the crowd. Over 100 BJD workers were detained, and several leaders—Pranab Prakash Das, Pritiranjan Ghadei, Bobby Das, and Dani Ghadei—sustained minor injuries during the clash. The Congress and its allies have announced a complete shutdown, demanding action and accountability from the state government.
