Bhubaneswar, Jan 28: Bhubaneswar witnessed heightened tension on Wednesday as over 50 protesters were detained during a statewide bandh called by the farmers’ organisation Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS). The bandh was organised to protest alleged irregularities in the paddy procurement process, a long-standing grievance among farmers in Odisha.

The protest began early in the morning, with farmers taking to major roads across the city, leading to brief disruptions in traffic movement. Police intervened to prevent escalation and detained the demonstrators. Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagmohan Meena said the detained protesters were temporarily housed at the Reserve Office detention centre. He also confirmed that the leader of the agitation had been taken into custody.

“The situation in the city is completely under control and normal. Any splinter groups attempting to disturb public order will also be detained,” DCP Meena told mediapersons.

Meanwhile, NKS convenor Akshay Kumar clarified that the bandh was peaceful in nature and would not disrupt essential services such as railways and emergency operations. However, the organisation appealed to business and commercial establishments across the state to keep their shutters down in solidarity with the farmers’ demands.

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