Bhubaneswar, Feb 14 (PTI) Demonstrations over various issues by the ruling BJD and the main opposition BJP choked the streets of Odisha capital Bhubaneswar for two hours on Tuesday, causing inconvenience to hundreds of people.

The ruling BJD, during the day, launched a three-day agitation against the BJP-led Centre over its decisions to discontinue free rice disbursal under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), and reduce rice procurement by 14 MT.

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The saffron party took out a rally, highlighting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's "failure to maintain law and order in the state and seeking his ouster from the home department", in the wake of a cabinet minister's murder in Jharsuguda district, allegedly by a policeman.

BJD leaders, including ministers and MLAs, staged an agitation near Raj Bhavan, raising slogans against the Centre, while the saffron brigade, comprising MPs, legislators and senior leaders, held a two-hour 'hartal' at five different places in Bhubaneswar -- AG Chhak, Jaydev Vihar, Khandagiri, Samantrapur and Palasuni.

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Traffic was thrown out of gear between 11 am to 1 pm as the BJP activists squatted on the thoroughfares, blocking traffic movement, a senior police officer said.

Hundreds of interstate trucks stood in queues on the highways as the protesters burned tyres at Khandagiri and Palasuni, the officer said.

Coming down heavily on the BJP, the ruling BJD claimed that the Centre's move to stop doling out 5 kg free rice shows that it has no regard for the poor in Odisha.

The regional party also protested against the Union government's decision to reduce fund allocation in the annual budget for food grain procurement, besides trimming down rice procurement in Odisha -- from 18 lakh MT to 4 lakh MT.

"The BJD protest is for poor man's rights. It is the Centre's responsibility to ensure food security. The pandemic has ended, but its impacts are still prevalent. The Centre should continue allotting free rice for the poor for another two years under PMGKAY," said MLA Debi Prasad Mishra.

In another part of the state capital, Bhubaneswar BJP president Babu Singh alleged that the there was no rule of law in the state, and "rape and murder have become the order of the day".

"We demand Patnaik's resignation from the home department in view of the recent cases of crime, including the minister's murder," said opposition chief whip Mohan Charan Majhi.

Echoing him, BJP MP Basant Panda said, "Minister Naba Kisore Das was allegedly killed by an assistant sub-inspector (ASI). Under such circumstances, people do not feel safe in this state."

Bhubanewar police commissioner Soumendra Priyadarshi, when contacted, said no untoward incident was reported during protests by the two political parties.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)