Rourkela (Odisha) : Steel city Rourkela saw a violent clash among the two communities last night when during the Ganesha visarjan, the majority community crowd used abusive slogans near Muslim area of Nala road, which heat up the environment and later stone pelting started among the both the groups. Most of the majority community people were drunk, backed by VHP and Bajrang Dal, who later burned few cars and looted a shop of minority community. Situation is said to be under control now and Section 144 is imposed in the main city.
This is the second such incident in the gap of two months. On 14th July this year after an ‘objectionable message’ on WhatsApp shared by a youth from majority community created clash among both the communities. To control the situation Police administration promulgated Section 144 of the CrPC in the city.
Rourkela comes under the Sundargarh district of Odisha. During the 2014 general election BJP MP, Jual Oram who got the Tribal Minister berth in the Narendra Modi government, was the sole BJP MP to save the party’s face in Odisha. Famous for taking stand on different issues is strangely silent on communal tensions regularly occurring in the Steel City. In 1964 district saw one of the violent communal riots, where more than 1555 people lost their lives. Alone 800 men, women and children were killed in the three Police Station areas in Rourkela town.
As per 2011 census 2.17% of people follow Islam in Odisha.
Rourkela is the third largest city of Indian state of Odisha. An eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal. The city is also known as Steel city of Odisha . The largest plant of Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is situated there. It had been shortlisted as one of the SMART cities under Government of India’s’ SMART City Mission last year.