Keonjhar (Odisha): Unrest continued in the Joda area of Keonjhar district as another group clash took place here on Wednesday. Following this, 16 platoons of the police force were deployed and a flag march was also conducted. Meanwhile, two Additional SPs are reviewing the law and order situation in the area while the internet services were suspended in the Keonjhar district to prevent further tension following the fresh clashes.
Earlier on Monday, many people were injured in the clash due to which the district administration clamped Section 144 in the area. It may be recalled that the Akhada procession was taken out in Joda on the occasion of Ram Navami. During this, some people of a certain community wanted to march up to the Lord Shiva temple in a flag procession to which the police did not grant permission. Later, the police suggested that only five persons would be allowed to go, along with the flags.
However, tensions flared up after the police permitted only five persons to carry the flags to the said temple. Agitated locals of that religious group demonstrated by staging a sit-in in front of the temple. Later, when they began to move to the temple carrying flags, some locals from another group reportedly stopped them from entering the area, flaring up tension between the two groups. Subsequently, both the groups resorted to stone pelting and throwing glass bottles, injuring many in the process.
Read: Blame game continues over incidents of communal violence during Ram Navami
