Police in Cuttack, Odisha, rejected permission for a group to hold a bike protest on Sunday, sparking new communal tensions and violent skirmishes.
Stone pelting, arson, and a police crackdown resulted from the escalating altercation, injuring at least 25 individuals, including eight police officers.As rioters set fire to eight to ten locations on Sunday, authorities have implemented a 36 hour curfew and restricted internet connections in an effort to quell additional unrest.
On Sunday, protesters took over key avenues in Cuttack, which led to a call for a Cuttack Bandh on Monday. The situation in Cuttack is still extremely tense.
Provocative slogans calling for the city to have a "exclusive Hindu only identity" were uttered by demonstrators throughout the demonstration.
In addition to expressing sadness over the group altercation, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi asked everyone to keep the peace.
With its illustrious millennium long history, Cuttack is a monument to solidarity and fraternity.
However, certain miscreants have recently disturbed the city's tranquility, which has an impact on regular people's daily life.
According to the CM's statement, "The government is closely monitoring these criminals and will take strong action against them."
The violent altercation in Cuttack was the result of several incidents that started late Friday night during the Durga idol immersion procession and got worse on Sunday.
Around two in the morning on the Friday-Saturday interval, when the procession of the Jhanjirimangala Bhagabat Puja Committee was on route to Debigada for the immersion of Goddess Durga, tensions began to rise.
There was a heated argument between the two groups when locals apparently complained to the procession's loud music.
As stones and glass bottles were thrown close to Dargah Bazar Jail Road, the situation rapidly got out of hand and became a combat zone.
To break up the crowd, police had to use a lathi charge. The altercation left a number of individuals hurt, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Rishikesh Khilari, who was struck by a stone and had a forehead injury.
