India, Oct. 8 -- Normal life has been disrupted across Odisha as the INDIA bloc observes a 12-hour bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on Thursday.

The Congress, along with eight other opposition parties, has appealed to people to keep vehicles off the roads and shut shops, markets, commercial establishments and offices during the bandh.

The shutdown has been called over four demands, including withdrawal of the MMDR Act, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and resignation of School & Mass Education minister Nityananda Gond over alleged irregularities in textbooks in the state and immediate and adequate relief for flood-affected families in the state.

Essential services, however, have been kept outside the bandh. Hospital...