Odisha's Balasore remains under curfew following communal clashes on Eid
Curfew and internet suspension continue in Odisha’s coastal town of Balasore after communal clashes over allegations of cow slaughter on the first day of Eid. The state government has also suspended internet services in the town till 10 am on June 20 to check the spread of rumour.
Tensions began on Monday after a few persons alleged that cows were being slaughtered as part of Eid and that the water in a nearby drain had turned red with blood. The police have so far registered seven FIRs, The Telegraph reported.
Hindu men attacked the houses of Muslim families on suspicion of animal slaughter, triggering an escalation of violence. At least 15 persons including five policemen were injured in the clashes that saw stone-pelting between both communities.
The district administration imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that prohibits the assembly of four or more persons from Pir Bazar to Patrapada in Balasore till midnight on Tuesday. Internet services were also suspended in a few sensitive areas.
According to reports, police had to resort to blank firing to control the situation. The miscreants broke into various villages pelted people’s houses with stones and set fire to them.
Eid-al-Adha is a Muslim festival that commemorates the spirit of sacrifice by slaughtering animals and sharing meat with the poor and needy.
Additional Director-General of Police (law and order) Sanjay Kumar said that 35 people have been arrested for rioting and violation of the curfew norms. "At least six companies of the central forces are on the way to Balasore and they will be deployed in sensitive pockets," Kumar told PTI.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also directed Thakare to ensure peace in the area. The communal tensions came within days after the BJP formed government in the state. Critics of the saffron party highlighted the rise of Hindutva as the cause of communal tensions in the state.
"The newly elected BJP government in Odisha begins its tenure with signature communal violence, curfew and internet ban in Balasore. Let's not forget that the new BJP CM of Odisha defends Dara Singh, the unrepentant killer of Graham Steins and his children," CPIML leader Dipankar Bhattacharya wrote on X.
