Balangir: The fight among Ollywood stars and producers over a two-year ban on actor Manoj Mishra took a new turn on Monday as an apex organisation of Koshala region called for a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in all western Odisha districts on November 15.
Addressing a press meet in Balangir, leaders of Koshala State Joint Action Committee the 12-hour bandh will be observed across western Odisha in protest against the move to deny Manoj any acting opportunity in Odia films for two years.
Representatives of different organisations, including Kosal Sena and Kosal Mukti Morcha, were present at the press meet. Over two crore people of western Odisha will ensure that the shutdown becomes completely successful, they said.
Essential services will be kept out of the purview of the bandh to be observed in around 11 western Odisha districts, they said.
Accusing the state government and influential people of adopting a step-motherly approach towards western Odisha, they said the decision to boycott Manoj Mishra for two years is a reflection of their attitude.
Alleging that western parts of the state have all along been neglected, they threatened to intensify the agitation for formation of a separate Kosal state.
The leaders also thanked veteran Congress leader Narasingha Mishra and BJP MLA Mukesh Mahaling for extending support to Manoj and demanding immediate withdrawal of the ban imposed by Utkal Cine Chambers of Commerce (UCCC).
It may be noted here that Congress legislator Narasingha Mishra has warned of division of Odisha due to intolerant attitude of the actors of coastal region. Mishra had accused the coastal actors of discriminating the actors from western Odisha.
Alleging that the people of Coastal Odisha and the state government have always been discriminating western Odisha, Mishra threatened that such discrimination has fanned secessionist sentiment and formation of separate Koshala state.
Subsequently, BJP MLA Nauri Nayak also condemned the ban on Manoj who belongs to western Odisha.
Another BJP MLA, Mukesh Mahaling, also came out in support of Manoj and came down on other actors supporting the ban. Actor Anubhav Mohanty, who has accused Manoj of creating a division among actors, should refrain from making such statements and the producers’ association must withdraw the ban, he said.