Odisha town simmers over Facebook comments

VHP and Bajrang Dal activists on Thursday burnt tyres on main roads to stop traffic and gheraoed a police station in Odisha’s Bhadrak town demanding action against three Muslim youths for their alleged blasphemous comments comments on Facebook. The three had allegedly posted comments against Ram, Sita and Hanuman in response to Bajrang Dal activist Ajit Kumar Padhihari’s post saying Jay Shri Ram on Facebook.

Padhihari had lodged a case demanding action against the youths. Bhadrak additional SP Asit Mohanty said that 10 police platoons have been deployed to control the situation. “The situation is tense but under control,” he said. All shops in the town remained shut down as a precautionary measure. Section 144 of CrPC, prohibiting assembly of more that four people, was imposed.