The demolition of religious structures on encroached Government land
undertaken by the administration has encountered its first major
challenge with the City observing a total shutdown in protest on
Thursday.

The drive launched by the administration on Wednesday
had to be suspended as normal life came to a standstill due to the bandh
called by the Cuttack Mahanagar Shanti Committee, puja committees and
the Matha Mandir Surakhya Parishad seeking a review of the decision to
raze the temples and other religious structures.

The
administration on Wednesday had demolished three temples and the Bhakti
Vedanta Ashram of Iskcon at Bidyadharpur under CDA. Though the
administration had much earlier announced to demolish the unauthorised
religious structures as per the orders of the Orissa High Court from May
1, the actual implementation fuelled tension and protests.

Puja
committees and the Shanti Committee issuing call for a bandh, the entire
city came to a grinding halt. Markets, shops and commercial
establishments were closed through the day as protestors staged rallies
and dharnas at different places.

Demonstrations were staged at
Khan Nagar, Chandi Mandir square, High Court Square, Badambadi and Buxi
Bazaar while the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central)
became the centre of all protest activities. Groups of protestors
staged dharnas in front of RDC office demanding suspension of demolition
drive.

The strike posed serious problems for the commuters and
passengers as the protestors forced a halt in the bus services. At many
places on the Link Road, buses and autorickshaws were stopped and
passengers forced to get down. Vehicular traffic on the busy NH-5 was
also disrupted for over half an hour due to road blockade.

“The
demolition of temples has hurt religious sentiments of people of the
city. The structures should not have been allowed to be constructed in
first place. But when they have come up and deities are being worshiped
by thousands of devotees, how can they be razed. We will continue with
protests until the decision is reviewed,” secretary of Cuttack Mahanagar
Shanti Committee Bhikari Das said.

Political parties too jumped
into the swell with leaders cutting across partylines sharing stage at
the protests. Former Minister and BJP leader Samir Dey, former Mayor
Nibedita Pradhan and City Congress president Md Mokim led rallies and
dharnas at different places.

The administration, however,
continues to be unperturbed by developments and is ready to resume it on
Friday. “Additional security arrangements would be made if required”,
DCP Praveen Kumar said. Meanwhile, a batch of writ petitions was filed
in the Orissa High Court by individual appellants praying for a halt to
demolition drive. The Division Bench of Justice MM Das and Justice I
Mohanty has posted the hearing on the petitions to Tuesday.