The situation in Kendrapada town, which had become tense on Wednesday over the posting of a derogatory video about a particular community, is under control and there is no need to panic, Central Range IG Soumendra Priyadarshi said on Thursday.
After reviewing the situation with district Superintendent of Police Dayanidhi Gochhayat and other senior police officials, Priyadarshi said the situation is fully normal and is expected to remain so. He appealed to the residents to maintain peace and harmony in the district headquarters town, known for its culture of brotherhood.
Meanwhile, district Collector Muralidhar Mallick on the day held discussions with representatives of both the communities to defuse the tension. The ban on the internet would continue for another 48 hours and later it would be reviewed whether it would continue or would be lifted, said official sources.
Notably, On Wednesday, the State Government had suspended internet services in the town for 48 hours to prevent possible escalation of the tension, which prevailed in the district after a youth of the Fakirbad area shared an objectionable video against a particular community and posted it in a Facebook page.
Some residents petitioned the Collector alleging that the particular social media post shared by a local youth hurt their sentiments and demanded stringent action against the accused. In a bid to prevent a repeat of the communal violence at Bhadrak town, the Home Department acting on the suggestion of district Collector Mallick disconnected the net connectivity from the urban areas from 3 pm on Wednesday for 48 hours. Meanwhile, the Cyber Cell of the Crime Branch police is investigating the contents and the origin of the video’s posting.