The State Government blocked social media platforms for 48 hours in Bhadrak and other places close to the town keeping in mind further flare-up in the town. Security men today staged a flag march in curfew-bound Bhadrak town of Odisha even as central forces were on their way to the area which witnessed violence triggered by ‘abusive’ remarks against Hindu deities.
The curfew, clamped in the arson-hit town yesterday, would continue till tomorrow, while the prohibitory orders were imposed in nearby Dhamnagar and Basudevpur as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of violence, a police official 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.
Senior officials, including Home Secretary Asit Tripathy and Director-General of Police K B Singh, have been camping in Bhadrak to monitor and supervise the peace operation.The DGP said the situation was now under control after some violent incidents took place in the town yesterday, but there was no group clash and loss of life.
Chief Secretary A P Padhi said in Bhubaneswar today 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.
Violence had erupted in Bhadrak on Thursday after a group staged demonstration near the town police station demanding immediate arrest of those involved in posting alleged offensive remarks against Hindu deities on social media.
