TNI Bureau: The normal life was hit in Odisha today due to 12-hour statewide bandh called by the Congress to protest police crackdown on its workers during agitation in Bhubaneswar last week.

The train and bus services were affected. Even auto stayed off the road. The commuters faced problems reaching their workplaces. The schools, colleges, few shops and business establishments were closed due to 12-hour bandh today.

Heavy security has been deployed across the state to control if violence will take place. Around 51 platoons of police have been deployed in Bhubaneswar to check the situation.

Police have arrested around 50 Congress workers for blocking roads. The state opposition had called the Odisha bandh for today to protest the last week’s clashes in which several protesters, police and journalists were injured.

Senior Congress leader Narasimha Mishra on Sunday had appealed to the people to make bandh successful in a peaceful manner.