Muslim community members have strongly protested the publication of a photo of Prophet Mohammed in The Samaja in the Tuesday’s edition, claiming that the act was sacrilegious and an affront on their religion.
While in Baleswar and Rourkela, irate mobs ransacked the local establishments of the newspaper and set them on fire, damaging property worth lakhs of rupees, in Kendrapada, the minority community members cried foul over the photo, took out a protest rally demanding unconditional apology against the Editor and publisher and lodged a complaint against the duo.
Notably, The Samaja published a make-believe photo of Prophet Mohammed on his birth anniversary. The minority community members alleged that the photo hurt their religious sentiment as it was imaginary. They said that Prophet Mohammed does not have a photo approved by the Muslim religion as yet.
Baleswar Sadar police IIC Jaswant Samal said, “We rushed to the site after getting information about the mob attack. But the mob comprising about 270 people came into the daily’s establishments in motor cycles armed with bamboo logs and weapons. While we stopped them near the gate, they forcibly entered into the premises after jumping over the boundary wall. The mob went berserk and damaged everything that came their way, besides setting the office on fire.”
SP Amrita Dash said, “The situation is tense, but we are trying to bring it under control.”
An irate mob also ransacked the Rourkela office of the daily and set it on fire. They vandalized computer sets, air conditioners, telephone sets, furniture and other valuable documents.
Rourkela edition in-charge Ranjit Mohanty said, “We have pasted two regret notes in front of the office for wrongly printing of the photo and assure to bring a regret note in the front page of the next edition of paper.” Police forces were deployed in The Samaja office to thwart any untoward incident.
Hundreds of Muslim members held a protest rally from the Fakirabad mosque in Kendrapada and burnt the effigy of Editor of The Samaj Dr Satya Ray at the Old bus stand. They lodged an FIR against Ray and publisher of the daily Niranjan Rath. The Muslim businessmen downed the shutters in the township area.
Tight police arrangements were made to avert any lawlessness, stated Kendrapara SP Rabi Narayan Behera.