Kendrapada: Two persons were critically injuries after a major clash broke out over dance performance by Nisha Maharana during a Jatra show in Odisha’s Kendrapada district on Sunday night.
According to sources, the Jatra was being held at Shuka Parishad Ashram under Kudanagari police limits as part of ‘Magha Mela’ celebrations when some people opposed the alleged obscene dance performance even as the organising committee insisted on staging it. What started as verbal arguments soon escalated into a violent scuffle with people hurling chairs at each other.
A few in crowd also threw burning cigarette butts at Nisha when she resumed her performance after a brief halt, forcing her to leave the stage.
Later, two members of the organising committee – Swapnajit Mahapatra and Jitendra Sahu – were brutally attacked with sharp weapons near Naganapur village when they were returning home. They were admitted to Nishintakoili Hospital for treatment.
Sources further stated that Shuka Parishad Cultural Committee staged a show here on ‘Magha Saptami’ every year. However, this year, another committee had also arranged a jatra performance, leading to competition between the two groups. The Shuka Parishad Committee decided to rope in Nisha Maharana for a dance performance to attract more people to its show.
The event organisers have lodged a complaint at the Kudanagari police station, seeking compensation for the damages incurred. Swapnajit and Jitendra have also filed separate complaints against their attackers.
Notably, the Odisha government had earlier announced a ban on obscene dance in jatra shows in the state.
Meanwhile in Bhubaneswar, Ekamra-Bhubaneswar MLA Babu Singh launched ‘thenga abhijan’, a special drive to check obscene dance performances in jatra shows during the nine-day-long Khandagiri Mela. Dancers, including Nisha Maharana, have reportedly been banned at the mela.
