Bhubaneswar: While the state is yet to recover from the shock of September 6 violence carried out by agitating workers of the Congress Party, the party has called for an Odisha Bandh on September 10, triggering panic among the common people.

People in Odisha, who have seen the hooliganism on the streets of Bhubaneswar on Thursday, wonder how far the Congress would go during the Odisha Bandh on Monday.

Armed with lathis and stones, the Congressmen played havoc by beating up policemen, common people and journalists during the maha rally. They did not even spare a lady constable, who was badly beaten up and molested by the goons. Is there any guarantee that similar acts won’t be repeated across the state on Monday?

If the Congress seeks a revival in Odisha using muscle power, they are completely wrong. Their acts of omission and commission would further strengthen the hands of Naveen Patnaik, who will win back the trust of even those people, who have begun to suspect them.

This is high time the Congress admits its mistakes, apologises to the people of Odisha and calls off the proposed Odisha Bandh in the larger interest of the state. This is what the situation demands, but it would be interesting to see how the party responds to it.