Security forces on Saturday staged a flag march in curfew-bound Bhadrak town of Odisha even as the Central forces were on their way to the area, which witnessed violence triggered by alleged ‘abusive’ remarks against Hindu deities on the social media.
The curfew, clamped in the arson-hit town on Friday, would continue till Sunday, while prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in nearby Dhamnagar and Basudevpur as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of violence, a police officer said.
Additional forces, including armed police, were deployed as part of an effort to restore peace in the strife-torn town which witnessed violence on Thursday and Friday, he said.
Police on Saturday held a flag march in Bhadrak town to boost the confidence of the locals which was shaken after the violent communal incidents on Friday. Fifteen platoons of police along with Vajra riot control vehicle led by ADG Binayananda Jha started the flag march from the town police station and went round the town.
Senior officials, including Home Secretary Asit Tripathy and Director-General of Police KB Singh, have been camping in Bhadrak to monitor and supervise the peace operation.
The DGP said the situation was now under control and all entry and exit points of the town have been sealed.
“We have extended the curfew period from 6 am to 8 am in view of the situation. We have deployed 35 platoons of police. Many senior officials are also present,” he informed.
Chief Secretary AP Padhi said in Bhubaneswar on Saturday that no violence had taken place in Bhadrak, where 35 platoons of force (over 1,100 personnel) had been deployed.
Two companies of Central forces are being sent to Bhadrak as the Union Government is ready to extend all help and cooperation to the State in restoring normalcy in the town, Union Minister Pradhan said in a statement.
Stating that he had a word with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Home Secretary on the issue, Pradhan urged Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to handle the situation in a sensitive manner and activate the administration.
About 30 people have been detained in connection with the violent incidents which left several shops gutted and vehicles damaged. More than 28 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fires set in different parts of the town.
The violence-hit town wore a deserted look as shops, business establishments, educational institutions and other organisations remained closed.
The State Government has appointed Gyanaranjan Das, who was the Commissioner of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), as Bhadrak Collector.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar, who was scheduled to attend a function here on Saturday cancelled his visit, while slamming the State Government for unrest in the town.
Meanwhile, due to the curfew there was gross shortage of essential commodities as people could not get out of their homes and all the shops had downed their shutters. The commuters arriving from other parts of the State and the country had a miserable time as no transport was available to take them to their destinations.
The patients and their attendants at the District Headquarters Hospital and other hospitals had a harrowing time as food was not available in the hospital and the medicine distribution counters were locked due to the curfew.
The doctors and nurses had to come by foot to the hospital due because of the curfew. The examinations scheduled to be held at the Bhadrak College were suspended till Wednesday.
However, the situation though under control continued to be tense. The police, however, hoped the Saturday night would pass off without any untoward incidents. But the residents were jittery despite the heavy police presence.
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday asserted that it has no role in the communal tension at Bhadrak. VHP State president BN Patnaik told reporters here, “Neither the VHP nor the Bajranj Dal is involved in the Bhadrak communal violence.”
Patnaik said anti-social elements of a particular community are responsible for the volatile situation in Bhadrak. Blaming the local administration for failing to take proper steps at the appropriate time, Patnaik said it is the responsibility of the State Government to restore peace in Bhadrak and ensure that the tension doesn’t flare up in other parts of the State.
Sources said a team of senior State functionaries of the VHP would visit Bhadrak on Sunday to collect more details about the situation.