Odisha imposes internet shutdown in Bhadrak over communal tension 

Social media posting about prophet enraged a particular community, which wanted to organize public protest demanding immediate arrest of person responsible for online remark

The Odisha government on Saturday (September 28, 2024) ordered an internet shutdown in district headquarter town of Bhadrak after noticing a surge in social media postings fueling communal tensions. The unrest began when an online inflammatory remark about a community’s prophet sparked stone-pelting by agitated crowds

“The Bhadrak district administration has expressed concerns of misuse of internet for spreading communal violence. Messaging platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook, X and other such media have the potential to inflame communal tension thereby leading to acts causing disturbance of public order in Bhadrak district,” said State Home Secretary Satyabrata Sahu in a notification issued on Saturday.

Mr. Sahu ordered, “in order to prevent the spread of such inflammatory and motivated messages to circulate in the above mentioned media to disturb the public order in whole Bhadrak district and restore peace and amity, it is decided to extend prohibition of the use and access of social media platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook, X and any other through internet and other medium of data services for 48 hours up to 2 am on September 30 in Bhadrak district.”

It is to be noted that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita were enforced in Bhadrak town on Friday (September 27, 2024) evening after members of a community clashed with police and government officials. The confrontation had erupted when authorities refused permission for a protest march in response to social media comments about their prophet, leading to stone-pelting by the agitated crowd. Government vehicles were vandalized and officers on law and order duty received injuries in the stone pelting.

Problem started when over 600 people blocked the road at Santhia bridge, which connects Kacheribazar and Purunabazar demanding the arrest of the person responsible for the post on Friday. Bhadrak had witnessed communal violence over similar Facebook post by a particular community in 2017.

Published - September 28, 2024 09:57 am IST