Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Oct 2: (Bhadrak violence) Internet services were restored in violence-hit Bhadrak district on Wednesday, following Odisha DGP Y B Khurania’s appeal to the public to avoid being influenced by social media posts. The district authorities lifted the internet ban at midnight after easing Section 163 of the BNS in various areas.
Prohibitory orders had been imposed in Bhadrak and Dhamnagar, and internet services were suspended for 48 hours on September 27 after a violent protest erupted in Purunabazar over an “objectionable” social media post that allegedly offended the religious sentiments of a particular community. The suspension was extended for another 48 hours as the situation gradually returned to normal.
Shops and markets are now allowed to operate from 6 AM to 9 PM. While traffic has resumed, public gatherings and rallies remain prohibited. So far, 27 individuals (10 in Bhadrak and 17 in Dhamnagar) have been arrested for their involvement in instigating the violence.
