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Athgarh bandh evokes little response

CUTTACK: The dawn to dusk bandh call given by the BJP unit of Athgarh NAC on Friday went off peacefully without any untoward incident reported from anywhere as the bandh evoked little response.

The bandh call was given by the party in protest against the government’s failure to trace the local Independent MLA Ramesh Rout who has gone missing since June 20 after expressing his desire to resign from the Assembly.

BJP local unit had urged the police to trace the missing MLA and had given a 48-hour ultimatum to the government on Tuesday while asking the police to give protection to the MLA’s family members who are apprehending threat to their lives. While the BJP was trying to draw some political mileage by giving the bandh call, it however, did not evoke any response in the town.

“The bandh went off peacefully and there have been no reports of any violence from anywhere in the NAC”, said the Cuttack (rural) SP Mr. Rajani Kanta Mishra. The bandh evoked poor response from the locals as shops and business establishments remained opened throughout the day while vehicular traffic on the roads was normal, he added saying at least one platoon of armed force was deployed in the area.

Meanwhile, there has been no news about the missing MLA even as four special teams formed by the district police are on the lookout of the legislator who has been incommunicado for over 10 days now. “The four teams, each under a senior police officer are on their job and the MLA was still untraceable till Friday evening”, the SP said.

The SP also confirmed that the MLA’s father Bhaskar Rout has filed a complaint in the Athgarh police station.

“We have registered a case basing on the complaint”, Mr. Mishra said adding that the complainant as mentioned in his complaint that his son had gone missing since June 20.

Seeking security to his family members, the MLA’s father has also urged to trace his missing son, Mishra added. It may be recalled here that the State Assembly speaker Mr. Pradeep Amat after receiving the resignation letter of Rout has summoned the MLA to appear before him on or before July 5 to discuss on the grounds on which the MLA is seeking to quit his membership from the House.

The Speaker has not yet accepted the resignation nor has rejected it. Rout won the Assembly elections in May this year as an Independent candidate backed by the ruling BJD.

The party had decided to throw its weight behind Rout after the official party candidate Ranendra Pratap Swain—a former minister, was debarred from contesting the April polls for he failed to produce his original party affiliation certificate at the submission of his nomination papers.

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