Odisha: Section 144 imposed in three districts after communal clashes

Clashes between two groups during immersion of Lord Ganesha idols led to a tense situation in Soro town in Balasore district, Rourkela in Sundargarh district and Pattamundai in Kendrapara district.

Highlights

• 1 Festivities were marred in three towns in the state on Tuesday.
  
• 2 Tension erupted during Bakri Eid celebrations in Soro, Rourkela and Pattamundai.
  
• 3 In Rourkela, miscreants hurled bricks at Lord Ganesha idol.
  

Curfew has been imposed and Section 144 (CrPc) clamped in parts of Odisha after tension erupted during Bakri Eid celebrations.
Festivities were marred in three towns in the state on Tuesday as tension prevailed over clashes between groups on Monday night.
Clashes between two groups during immersion of Lord Ganesha idols led to a tense situation in Soro town in Balasore district, Rourkela in Sundargarh district and Pattamundai in Kendrapara district.
Following the development, processions were banned by the administration at all the three places with armed security personnel standing guard on the roads. However, restrictions under Section 144 were relaxed at Rourkela, Soro and Pattamundai on Tuesday in order to allow the smooth conduct of Eid prayers.
On Monday night, Section 144 of CrPC was imposed in Rourkela after alleged miscreants hurled bricks at Lord Ganesha idol during an immersion procession leading to a tense situation. Police had lathicharge to disperse the crowd and fire teargas shells to bring the situation under control. Similarly, tension erupted in Pattamundai when members of a community opposed the use of loudspeakers during an immersion procession in front of a mosque.
According to Odisha Director General of Police K.B. Singh, adequate police personnel have been deployed in all communally sensitive areas to maintain peace in the state. Senior officials from the administration and police are conducting meetings of peace committees in Rourkela and Soro to restore normalcy.