Tension erupted in Rourkela following the minority community members held a road blockade protesting objectionable postings in Whatsapp by a youth, leading to delay of chariot movement during the Bahuda Yatra.
Bajrang Dal activists protested the road blockade. The situation was volatile and it was apprehended that it might lead to a group clash.
However, huge police forces were deployed to prevent any untoward situation. loud speaker announcements were repeatedly made, intimating about clamping of Section 144 in the area and police team conducted flag march at different locations of the city till Friday.
All the shops and commercial establishments in main road area of the city, particularly from Uditnagar to Bisra Road area, remained closed.
The entire area was covered with large deployment of police personnel and CRPF with about 20 platoons of police forces engaged in the job. A peace committee meeting was also convened on Friday, in presence of Sundargarh Collector Bhupinder Singh Punia, where in people from different sections of society were involved and an appeal was made by district administration to restore peace in the city.
Meanwhile, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced twelve hours Rourkela bandh on Saturday, protesting the delay in Rath Yatra movement due to protest by the people from minor community.
“Restoring peace in the city is our priority and we are taking all measures to do that,” said Collector Punia. He also appealed the people of Rourkela to cooperate with the district administration to restore normalcy in the city.
Rourkela SP Anirudha Singh confirmed that police have registered two separate cases and investigating in to the matter but denied about any arrests in this cases. “Since the situation is tense now, our priority has been to restore peace and later, appropriate action will be taken against the culprits,” Singh added.
Significantly, hundreds of locals belonging to minority community staged a road blockade near Hotel Chandralok area of the
Main road, demanding arrest of one youth, who had allegedly shared some objectionable message through WhatsApp.
This blockade spot being the route of return car festival of lord Jagannath, the Rath movement was reportedly delayed for some time. Although, police had cleared the blockade and Rath movement was normalised, hundreds of activists of Bajrang Dal had staged a protest during late evening demanding release of the youth detained by police on the objectionable post issue.