‘Devi Nagar’ sparks protests in Bhatkal: Allegations shift from street board to mosque's legality
Bhatkal: Protests continued for third day on Tuesday regarding the installation of a Devinagar board outside the Makkah Masjid at Second Cross on Jali Road here under Jali Patan Panchayat limits in Bhatkal. However, authorities did not grant permission for the installation. Protesters were directed to submit a written memorandum to the Jali Panchayat, which would then decide on the matter.
The controversy arose when, on Sunday, a stone board outside the Makkah Masjid was painted and rewritten as "Devi Nagar," with an attached pole. Mosque representatives alleged that Sangh Parivar workers intentionally sought to hoist saffron flags outside the mosque, a move they vehemently opposed. Subsequently, the pole was removed early Monday morning under police supervision.
Expressing their dissatisfaction, Sangh Parivar workers gathered outside the mosque to protest the pole's removal. Police convinced the protesters to disperse, assuring them of a meeting on Tuesday morning at the Tahsildar office to express their views.
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In a meeting with Jali Panchayat councilors chaired by the Tehsildar on Tuesday morning, it was decided not to permit any board or pole installation outside the mosque. During the meeting it was decided to maintain status quo at the site. Panchayat members also emphasized the potential political motives behind creating tension in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections, urging the police and authorities to thwart such efforts.
Despite the agreed-upon meeting, BJP workers insisting on installing the board gathered outside Makkah Masjid and protested again. They expressed a desire to write "Devi Nagar" at a visible height without hoisting a flag. As they attempted to install the board, the police intervened, leading to verbal clashes. Tehsildar Tippe Swamy, Additional SP CT Jayakumar, Bhatkal DySP Shrikant, and other senior police officials were present during the confrontation.
Additional SP CT Jayakumar urged the protesters to submit their demands in writing or through a memorandum to the Tehsildar and the Panchayat. In response, Sangh Parivar and BJP workers, present during the incident, argued that the mosque's construction alongside a madrassa was illegal, calling for legal action against it.
Failing in their attempt to install the board, protesters marched to the Jalipatan Panchayat office, submitting a memorandum to the chief officer. The memorandum claimed the mosque's illegality, demanding legal action. Meanwhile, BJP leaders held a press conference near the Jali Panchayat, threatening action against other allegedly illegal buildings within its limits if the board installation was not allowed.
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Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
