Tensions in Cuttack After Durga Puja Violence, VHP Calls for 12-Hour Bandh
Violence during idol immersion leaves several injured, including a senior police official; VHP blames administrative failure and calls for a citywide bandh on October 6.
Tension gripped Odisha’s Cuttack city on Sunday following violent clashes during a Durga Puja idol immersion procession. The unrest, which erupted in the early hours of Saturday near Haathi Pokhari in the Daraghabazar area, led to several injuries and prompted the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to call a 12-hour bandh on October 6.
According to officials, the incident occurred between 1:30 AM and 2 AM when a group of locals objected to the high-decibel music played during the immersion procession. What began as a verbal argument quickly escalated when stones and glass bottles were reportedly hurled from nearby rooftops at participants in the procession. Several people were injured in the attack, including Cuttack’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo.
In response, police carried out a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. The immersion procession came to a standstill for nearly three hours as members of various Durga Puja committees staged protests, demanding immediate arrests. The immersion resumed later under heavy police deployment, and all remaining idols were immersed by 9:30 AM on Sunday.
Authorities have so far arrested six individuals in connection with the violence, and efforts are ongoing to identify other suspects using CCTV footage, drone visuals, and eyewitness accounts, according to news agency PTI.
The VHP, blaming administrative failure for the violence, demanded the immediate transfer of both the DCP and the district collector. “The authorities failed to ensure peaceful immersion despite repeated requests,” said a VHP spokesperson, announcing a dawn-to-dusk bandh in protest.
Reactions from political leaders were swift. The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) condemned the incident, blaming “anti-social elements” for trying to disturb communal harmony. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, from the BJP, assured the public that strict action would be taken against those responsible. He also instructed officials to provide free medical treatment to all those injured during the clashes.
As of Sunday evening, the situation in Cuttack remained under control, with heightened police presence in sensitive areas to prevent further unrest.