This story is from April 8, 2017

Bhadrak tense: Odisha seeks 4 companies of RAF

The state government has sought four companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) to be deployed in Bhadrak town in view of the communal tension being escalated there. The demand for Central forces came after the government extended clamping of curfew till Sunday morning.
Bhadrak tense: Odisha seeks 4 companies of RAF
The state government has sought four companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) to be deployed in Bhadrak town in view of the communal tension being escalated there. The demand for Central forces came after the government extended clamping of curfew till Sunday morning.
Key Highlights
  • Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi has urged the Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi to dispatch four platoons of RAF.
  • On Thursday tension began in the town with a group holding dharna outside the town police station.
  • The group demanded arrest of persons, who allegedly posted derogatory remarks against Hindu gods in Facebook.
BHUBANESWAR: The state government has sought four companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) to be deployed in Bhadrak town in view of the communal tension being escalated there. The demand for central forces came after the government extended clamping of curfew till Sunday morning.
Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi has urged the Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi to dispatch four platoons of RAF to assist a strong contingent of state police, which have kept a vigil on the trouble-torn town since Thursday.

“While there has been no loss of life, there has been extensive damage to the property. Bhadrak town is prone to communal incidents given our past experience. We need reinforcement of specialized forces for tackling the communal violence,” said the letter.
On Saturday afternoon, the state police conducted flag march in the town to allay the fear of people and to keep the elements at bay. The march was led by additional director general (law and order) Binayanand Jha. While curfew will remain in vogue till Sunday morning, around 35 platoons of state police have been deployed at sensitive locations. “As many as 35 persons have been arrested for indulging in violence. The arrest may go up. The anti-riot vehicle has been pressed into the job,” said a senior police officer.
Additional director general (intelligence) Arun Sarangi said the situation is under control. “There is no report of loss to life. A minuscule number of people have left the town,” Sarangi told TOI.
Bhadrak collector Gyana Ranjan Das said around 200 shops, big and small ones, have been damaged during the violence. “On Sunday, we will again organize a peace talk to restore normalcy as soon as possible. The exact loss of property will be assessed a few days later,” said Das.
The SPs of Bhadrak as well Jajpur districts have been camping there along with police DG K B Singh and home secretary Asit Tripathy.
On Thursday tension began in the town with a group holding dharna outside the town police station. The group demanded arrest of persons, who allegedly posted derogatory remarks against Hindu gods in Facebook.
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