Defamation of Lord Rama in FB post, Bhadrak on Fire. 144 imposed to control communal riots.

Curfew in Bhadrak town in Odisha after huge communal violence erupted over derogatory Facebook post against “Jai Shri Ram”.

Upendra Bharti | HENB | Bhadrak | April 7, 2017:: Bhadrak town in Odisha witnessed violence yesterday after derogatory comments on Ram and Sita were posted on a Facebook page. Soon after, VHP and Bajrang Dal activists started blockading traffic on the main roads and gheraoed a police station.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJQ5g02dYU

Bhadrak SP Dilip Das said a mob held up traffic on the road near Nua Bazar square and demanded police action against the youth who had posted offensive comments against Ram and Sita on Facebook. The group had a heated argument with the police. Some police vehicles were damaged by the mob. Though Section 144, prohibiting assembly of four or more people in public places, was imposed in the town, officials had to clamp curfew as the situation deteriorated further.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ORlab0Xb4w

Despite a deceptive calm in the aftermath of Thursday’s communal violence in Bhadrak, the coastal Odisha town today witnessed fresh violence as mobs set ablaze shops and attacked police vehicles, forcing the authorities to impose curfew.

The state government rushed its top officials to Bhadrak to take stock of the situation, and also shifted district collector LN Mishra and replaced him with Cuttack Municipal Commissioner Gyana Ranjan Das. About 15 platoons of police have been deployed in the town.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal activists demanded action against three Muslim youth for their alleged blasphemous comments on Facebook. The three had allegedly posted the said comments in response to a Bajrang Dal activist Ajit Kumar Padhihari’s post hailing Jai Shri Ram on Facebook.

Though a peace meeting was convened today it failed to bring out any resolution following which members of both communities indulged in violence.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8kGmyig_m8

Bhadrak last saw a riot in March 1991 on the day of Ram Navami when a religious procession of Hindus had a scuffle with a Muslim bystander. The city’s main market was gutted in the riots that followed.

In most of the part Muslims in Bhadrak town are feeling now  distressed in a rioting situation, though police is trying utmost to come down the communal flair up. Muslims in general are also condemning the filthy way to degenerate Lord Rama in Facebook. They also demand hard punishments for all the perpetrators connected with Facebook vilification and rioting both.

Bhadrak is now turned as a cantonment. So far 35 platoon of armed police force has been deployed in the town and police and administration urged to the public to maintain peace and harmony and keep restrained from spreading any rumor.

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__inputs from HT and Kanak News.