BJP chief JP Nadda forms panel to probe Sambalpur violence

Communal clashes erupted in Odisha’s Sambalpur on April 12 in which 15, including 10 police personnel, were injured in stone pelting in the town during a motorcycle rally in the run-up to the Hanuman Jayanti

Updated on: Apr 29, 2023, 15:22:59 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda has formed a four-member inquiry committee to probe the violence during the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Odisha’s Sambalpur district early this month.

BJP National President JP Nadda (File Photo)

The committee comprising Rajya Sabha MPs Brij Lal, Samir Oraon, Aditya Sahu and Lok Sabha MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato will visit Sambalpur and prepare a report based on the visit, people familiar with the matter said.

Communal clashes erupted in Odisha’s Sambalpur on April 12 in which 15, including 10 police personnel, were injured in stone pelting in the town during a motorcycle rally in the run-up to the Hanuman Jayanti.

Also Read: 80 communal riots occurred during Cong govt’: JP Nadda in Karnataka

The violence occurred when the group of Hanuman Jayanti Samanwaya Samiti comprising BJP, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal workers on bikes were on their way to Durga Mandir in Golbazar passing through minority-dominated areas of Motijharan, Bhutpada, Raza Nagar, Sumapalli, Kumbharpada and Daleipada.

Following the violence, on April 14, Chitamani Mirdha, a 30-year-old tribal youth from Sanasinghari village on the outskirts of Sambalpur town, was killed while returning home from the Hanuman Jayanti procession.

According to the police, Mirdha and his friends were attacked by a mob with swords and hockey sticks who stabbed Mirdha to death. The incidents led to arson and the subsequent imposition of a curfew in the town. As the clash spilled over to the streets, many vehicles were damaged and some shops were set on fire. Police arrested over 100 people in connection with violence and the killing of a tribal youth on Hanuman Jayanti day.

On April 22, the state BJP unit wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah requesting to take steps for an inquiry by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the violence.

Also Read: Bihar ex-MLA Jawahar Prasad arrested over Sasaram communal violence case

“We condemn the heinous act of communal violence and demand an impartial investigation by the NIA to unravel the conspiracy behind the incident, and strict action against the perpetrators,” read the letter signed by BJP’s state unit president Manmohan Samal and other party MPs and MLAs.

“The violence and arson exposed the poor intelligence network of the Odisha police and the lack of foresight on its part to ascertain the consequences of inadequate security arrangement during the festival,” it added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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