: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) gave a call for a dawn to dusk bandh in Kandhamal district of Odisha on February 28 to protest the ban on entry of its leader Pravin Togadia into the district.
Mr Togadia was scheduled to attend a public meeting in district headquarter town Phulbani for golden jubilee celebrations of the VHP.
With the restriction imposed on Mr Togadia’s entry into Kandhamal district, the VHP has cancelled all its programmes including the public meeting and rally scheduled in Phulbani on February 28, said joint secretary of eastern zone of Odisha of the organisation, Priyanath Sharma.
According to Mr Sharma, educational institutions, health services and petrol pumps would be exempted from the bandh call of the VHP in Kandhamal district.
Speaking to The Hindu , Kandhamal Superintendent of Police (SP) Kanwar Vishal Singh said in view of the bandh call by the VHP, the police have been put on alert in all parts of the district with emphasis on sensitive areas. Adequate forces have been deployed in all police stations of the district.
Through the prohibition imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC, Kandhamal district administration has restricted entry of Mr Togadia into the district for seven days from February 27.
The Christian community of Kandhamal district had urged the government and administration to ban the entry of Mr Togadia into the district.
Ramakant Baliarsingh, a Christian resident of Brahmanigaon area of Kandhamal district, filed a petition before the Kandhamal district magistrate on February 24 urging a restriction on activities of Mr Togadia in Kandhamal district.
In a similar situation, the VHP had observed a bandh in Kandhamal district on March 20, 2010 to protest the ban Mr Togadia from entering Kandhamal.
On March 19, 2010, the night police had arrested 27 persons including Mr Togadia at Charichhak at the border of the district, when they had tried to come to Kandhamal despite restrictions imposed on the VHP leader to enter Kandhamal.
Educational institutions, health services and petrol pumps to be exempted from the bandh
