Bhubaneswar, July 11 -- Ahead of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's public meeting in Bhubaneswar on Friday, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das urged drivers in the state who are participating in the ongoing transportation strike to pauses their protest for a day to enable the Congress leader to conduct a successful event.

Drivers of private buses, trucks, taxis and commercial vehicles have joined in the strike that commenced from Tuesday over various demands, including the formation of a drivers' welfare fund, pension benefits after 60 years, legal protection from public hostility and designated parking lots and rest rooms with basic facilities every 100 km.

The leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who is on a Odis...