Congress workers in Odisha on Monday tried to seek public support for the six-hour Odisha bandh organised by the party by offering chocolates and dressing up like Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convince people that they were being hit by the steep rise in the prices of different commodities because of the unprecedented hike in petrol and diesel prices.

Impressed by the public support for the bandh, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders also admitted that rise in fuel prices had hit the common man hard.

In Cuttack, Congress workers offered candies to people who came out of their houses during the bandh which was in force from 7am to 1pm and convinced them about the need to protest the rise in prices. “We don’t want to resort to any kind of violence. By offering chocolates to people we were able to connect with them and convince them about the justification for what we were doing,” said party leader Manas Chaudhury.

At Umerkote in Nabarangpur district, about 520km from here in southern Odisha, a Congress worker dressed up as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi rode a bullock cart and mockingly inquired from passers by if the prices on petroleum products had fallen. In Bhubaneswar, leader pedalled in streets protesting fuel price hike.

Resentment over price rise is mounting. Chhabi Behera, a daily wager with no political links, was upset with the hike and supported the shutdown called by the Congress and AICTU against steep rise in the prices of essential commodities. “I don’t belong to any political party but I am against the price rise. I support those fighting against the price rise,” she said.

Chhabi, who lost her husband a few years back and is now bringing up her two children all alone, said, “What pains me most is the continuous rise in the prices of essential commodities such as onion and pulses. Though we have a gas connection, we are hardly able to refill it every month. As the price of the gas has almost touched Rs 750, we buy a refill once in four months now.”

On being asked how she would cook without gas Chhabi said, “I stay with my mother in law who continues to collect fire-wood from different parts of the city. As the cyclone Fani and Amphan had uprooted many trees, firewood is easily available. We use it for cooking but collecting wood is a strenuous job.”

The bandh, however, remained peaceful in the state. All the market places were closed and vehicles remained off the road. Trains were stranded at different stations because of the shutdown.

Pradesh Congress committee president Niranajan Patnaik said, “The bandh remained peaceful across the state. There is an overwhelming support for the cause. The Centre has reduced the corporate taxes by 10 per cent but increased the prices of petroleum products.” The BJD, which claims to maintain equal distance from both the BJP and Congress, said fuel price hike is a common man’s problem.

“The sole intention is to ensure profit for private oil companies by not putting a cap on the prices. In a democratic welfare country, there should be a check on price rise of essential commodities including gas,” said BJD spokesperson and MLA Amar Satpathy.

He said, “States are not getting any profit from the cess being collected by the Centre. The Centre should stop blaming states for its problems and putting pressure on state’s exchequer. Otherwise state’s economy will crumble down.”