Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has sharply criticised the manner of protests during a statewide bandh called by the INDIA bloc, accusing Congress and allied parties of harassing ordinary citizens and disrupting daily life in the name of political agitation.
The 12-hour shutdown, observed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, was organised by nine INDIA bloc parties including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party, RJD and JMM. Demonstrations and road blockades were reported in Bhubaneswar, Kataka, Sambalpur, Brahmapur, Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Baragada and several other districts. Public transport was hit, with buses and autorickshaws affected, while shops, petrol pumps and some educational institutions remained closed in parts of the state.
The opposition raised three main demands: withdrawal of the MMDR (Amendment) Act, 2026; resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which they have described as “vote chori”; and resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over claimed factual errors in school textbooks. Senior Congress leader Suresh Routray reiterated these demands in Bhubaneswar, while Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das had earlier appealed for the bandh to remain peaceful.
In a post on X, Majhi acknowledged that citizens have the right to protest in a democracy but said scaring people, bothering everyday citizens and disrupting their routines is “completely wrong.” He described the Election Commission as an independent constitutional body and the SIR exercise as a normal, impartial process.
ଗଣତନ୍ତ୍ରରେ ବିରୋଧ ଓ ପ୍ରତିବାଦର ଅଧିକାର ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଅଛି, କିନ୍ତୁ ପ୍ରତିବାଦ ନାଁରେ ସାଧାରଣ ନାଗରିକଙ୍କ ସହ ଦୁର୍ବ୍ୟବହାର କରିବା, ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଭୟଭୀତ କରିବା ସେମାନଙ୍କ ସ୍ୱାଭାବିକ ଜୀବନଯାତ୍ରାକୁ ବାଧାପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରିବା ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଅଗଣତାନ୍ତ୍ରିକ। ଭାରତର ନିର୍ବାଚନ ଆୟୋଗ ଏକ ସ୍ୱୟଂଶାସିତ ସାମ୍ବିଧାନିକ ସଂସ୍ଥା ଏବଂ ଭୋଟର ତାଲିକାର ସ୍ୱତନ୍ତ୍ର ସଂଶୋଧନ (SIR) ଏକ ନିରପେକ୍ଷ ନିୟମିତ ପ୍ରକ୍ରିୟା ହୋଇଥିବା ବେଳେ, କେବଳ ନିଜ ରାଜନୈତିକ ସ୍ୱାର୍ଥ ହାସଲ ପାଇଁ SIR ଆଳରେ କଂଗ୍ରେସ ଓ ‘ଇଣ୍ଡି’ ମେଣ୍ଟର ନେତା ଓ କର୍ମୀମାନେ ରାଜରାସ୍ତାରେ ନିରୀହ ଜନସାଧାରଣଙ୍କ ସହ ଯେଭଳି ଅଶୋଭନୀୟ ବ୍ୟବହାର କଲେ ଓ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ହନ୍ତସନ୍ତ କଲେ, ତାହା ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଲଜ୍ଜାଜନକ ତଥା ନିନ୍ଦନୀୟ। ନିଜର ସଙ୍କୁଚିତ ରାଜନୀତି ପାଇଁ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ଶାନ୍ତିପ୍ରିୟ ଜନସାଧାରଣଙ୍କୁ ହଇରାଣ କରିବା ଓ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଉପରେ ଜୁଲୁମ କରିବାର ଅଧିକାର କାହାରି ନାହିଁ; ଗଣତାନ୍ତ୍ରିକ ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନରେ ସଂଯମତା ଓ ସାଧାରଣ ଜନତାଙ୍କ ଅଧିକାର ପ୍ରତି ସମ୍ମାନ ରହିବା ଏକାନ୍ତ ଆବଶ୍ୟକ।
People have every right to protest in a democracy, but bothering everyday citizens, scaring them, and disrupting their daily routines is completely wrong.
The Election Commission of India is an independent body, and updating the voter list (SIR) is just a normal, fair process. Using it as an excuse, Congress and INDI alliance members took to the streets and harassed innocent people just for their own political gain. This kind of behavior is shameful.
No one has the right to disrupt the lives of peaceful people in Odisha for petty politics. Any real protest must show restraint and respect the rights of ordinary citizens.— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) October 8, 2026
The Chief Minister accused Congress and INDIA alliance workers of using the revision as an excuse to harass innocent people on the streets for political gain, calling the behaviour shameful and condemnable. He added that no one has the right to trouble Odisha’s peace-loving public for narrow political ends and that genuine democratic movements must show restraint and respect ordinary citizens’ rights.
Police had earlier announced security arrangements, including deployment of officers in the Bhubaneswar-Kataka region, to keep key routes and essential services operational.
The bandh follows earlier demonstrations by INDIA bloc members near the Chief Minister’s residence and comes amid ongoing political debate over the mining law amendments, textbook content and the integrity of the electoral roll revision process.
While the opposition has framed the shutdown as a defence of constitutional and land rights, the state government has maintained that the protests crossed into disruption of public life.
