Keonjhar: The district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC in the mining town of Joda in Keonjhar district.
Tension flared up in the mining town following a clash between two groups. Police had to resort to blank firing to disperse the mob as both sides resorted to heavy stone pelting.
While additional police forces have been deployed, Champua Sub Collector, Barbil SDPO, and local Tehsildar are camping in Joda to maintain law and order.
According to reports, one religious group on the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday took out an Akhada procession. The group wanted to take the ‘jhanda’ (religious flag) to a Shiva temple in Ward no. 4 which was, however, not allowed by the police. Though the police had said that only five persons would be allowed to take the jhanda to the temple in the morning today, it did not permit the same.
Agitated over the issue, the group blocked the road near the Hanuman temple. While the group was going to the temple carrying the jhanda, it was opposed by another group resulting in the clash.
Police which tried to pacify both the groups, failed miserably as members of both sides turned violent, pelted stones and glass bottles at each other forcing it to resort to blank firing.
