Cuttack: Though no major incidents were reported since imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNS at 10 pm last night, the situation in Odisha’s Cuttack city on Monday could be best described as tense but under control.
The thousand-year-old city celebrated for its communal harmony has been on the edge since Friday, which saw clashes between two groups due to disagreements over loud music during the Durga Puja idol immersion ceremony in Dargah Bazaar area. Fresh violence erupted on Sunday evening with a bike rally by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which had already called for a 12-hour bandh on Monday, in protest against the administration’s failure to ensure a peaceful immersion ceremony. The protestors allegedly pelted police with stones when barred from entering sensitive areas in the city, defying administrative orders. They also set fire at 8–10 locations near Gourishankar Park, damaged shops and CCTV cameras.
This came even as rumour mongers further fanned the flames with fake news about alleged death of a person during the Friday clashes, which police later rubbished through a fact check.
Amid the escalating tensions, the state government suspended internet services, including social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and X, for 24 hours from 7 pm on Sunday to curb the spread of inflammatory messages.
Soon, appeals for peace from across the political spectrum grew louder. A 36-hour curfew also came into force at 10 pm last night with police urging citizens to avoid venturing out unnecessarily.
The city woke up to heavy security deployment this morning. Over 60 platoons of police forces and eight companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) flooded the streets to maintain the law and order. Flag marches were also conducted in sensitive zones.
Three FIRs have been registered and eight persons arrested in connection with the violence. Police are further analysing the CCTV footage to identify culprits and have promised stringent action. Authorities have also intensified vehicle checks at various entry points into Cuttack to prevent any flare-ups.
In a fresh advisory, Odisha Police asked people to verify the authenticity of any news before posting it on social media. “Refrain from sharing false or provocative content. Strict legal action will be taken against those found spreading misinformation or misleading content,” it said.
APPEALS FOR PEACE
Speaking to reporters, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan again appealed to the public to maintain peace. “Cuttack is limping back to normalcy. Police have taken necessary measures, and the CM also urged everyone to maintain peace. I, on behalf of our government, request everyone not to let the reputation of Cuttack be tarnished. I strongly believe that such incidents will not happen in the future,” he said, assuring “stringent action would be taken against those found guilty.”
BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab asserted that the administration is taking utmost care to maintain peace and tranquillity in the city of Cuttack. “Some miscreants created trouble during the Durga Puja idol procession, which resulted in retaliation by another community and it has created a very unpleasant situation in our city. I am sure the state government is taking utmost care to maintain peace in the city, and most enlightened citizens have also come out to appeal to both communities to maintain tranquillity in the city. But the miscreants should be dealt with full force…I am told that some miscreants came from outside of Cuttack and indulged in a lot of arson yesterday in the city. They should be identified and strict action should be taken against them…” he said.
Cuttack Mayor Subhash Chandra Singh said that a sense of fear prevails in the city though police have allowed essential services such as grocery stores, hospitals, and pharmacies continue to operate during the curfew. “Cuttack is a peaceful place and is known for its unique bond between communities. The situation is calm right now. People stayed awake all night fearing more violence as rumour mongers peddled lies on social media…I appeal to all citizens of Cuttack to cooperate with the administration so that peace and Cuttak’s old heritage image can be restored…” he said.
Barabati-Cuttack MLA Sofia Firdous also appealed to the public to maintain calm and cooperate with the authorities to ensure that normalcy is restored as quickly as possible. “We all condemn the unfortunate incidents that have occurred in Cuttack city over the last two days. Yesterday, too, the way shops were vandalised, violence occurred. Such incidents have come as a shock for us having lived all our life celebrating all pujas and festivals together. I demand strong and exemplary action against those who are involved. Everyone has to make an effort to bring back peace in the city,” she said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also termed the violence in Cuttack as unfortunate. “A state like Odisha, which had very peaceful people living there, with no clashes when the BJD was in power, suddenly with the BJP coming to power, the dynamics on the ground have changed…What has happened in Cuttack is a sad reflection of what the Bharatiya Janata Party, when in government, can do to the people of the state, dividing the people of the state for their own politics. Extremely unfortunate and I hope the law and order prevail and people of Odisha realise that they are being used as mere tools to create fights amongst the two groups, so as to create more tension and to politically benefit the BJP. I hope that the people of Odisha will see through this politics and maintain peace, calm and all those who are behind these clashes should be arrested as soon as possible and for VHP to enter the equation, for anyone else to enter the equation, again speaks volumes about what the agenda truly is,” she alleged.
Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik and other leaders too had appealed to the people to maintain peace and uphold the city’s tradition of unity and goodwill.