Bowing to pressure from various quarters, the Sangh Parivar on Friday night called off their proposed Orissa bandh on Christmas day following talks with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The state-wide bandh had been called by Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Sradhanjali Samiti in protest against alleged failure of the state government in arresting the culprits and conspirators involved in the killing of Swami Laxmanananda in Kandhamal district.
"In view the assurance given by the chief minister that shortly all the killers and conspirators involved in the brutal murder of Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his associates would be arrested, the Samiti decided to call off the bandh," SLSSS president Ratnakar Chaini said.
"For the time being, in the greater interest of Orissa and Oriyas, we call off the bandh," he said, adding the Samiti reserves all its rights to go for a democratic peaceful agitation depending on the situation.
The Samiti's decision followed an appeal made by Patnaik to reconsider its proposed action and call off the bandh at the meeting attended by Chaini, state BJP president Suresh Pujari, party MP Dharmendra Pradhan, SLSSS convenor Laxmikant Das and MP Chandan Mitra.
Noting that investigation into Saraswati's killing was in progress, Patnaik told the saffron leaders: "I again assure the people that state crime branch will do its best to solve the entire case in the near future."
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