Communal Clashes in Cuttack: SDPI Demands Impartial Probe and Action Against Perpetrators

Mohammed Elyas Thumbe, National General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India, expresses profound shock and deep concern over the recent communal violence in Cuttack, Odisha, during the Durga Puja idol immersion processions. Cuttack, a city celebrated for its thousand-year tradition of secular harmony and interfaith cooperation, where Muslim artisans create the intricate medha backdrops for Hindu deities, now bears the scars of a senseless eruption of hatred. What began as a dispute over loud music during late-night processions tragically escalated into widespread clashes, injuring more than twenty-five people, including police personnel, and resulting in arson, destruction of property, and the imposition of a thirty-six-hour curfew.

The SDPI is deeply alarmed by credible reports indicating the involvement of right-wing Sangh Parivar groups, particularly the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), in instigating this unrest. On October 5, the VHP reportedly organized an unauthorized motorcycle rally in violation of administrative orders. Participants raised provocative slogans while passing through sensitive Muslim-majority areas such as Dargha Bazaar. This rally intensified tensions, leading to stone-pelting on police, arson in several localities, and targeted attacks on minority-owned establishments, revealing a deliberate attempt to communalize a cultural celebration. The VHP’s call for a twelve-hour bandh on October 6, demanding the transfer of local officials and door-to-door searches in Muslim neighborhoods, further exposes its political motive to divide communities under the pretext of protecting religious sentiments.

These incidents are not isolated. They reflect a wider pattern of Sangh Parivar-driven provocations in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, where festivals are misused to incite violence against Muslims and weaken the secular foundation of the country. While the state government’s immediate measures, including curfews and internet restrictions, may have brought temporary calm, the selective arrests and lack of accountability for the real instigators raise serious questions of bias. Such actions weaken the constitutional values of equality and fraternity, spread fear among minorities, and deepen communal divisions.

The SDPI calls for an impartial judicial inquiry into the Cuttack violence, strict legal action against all those responsible including the VHP leaders, and stronger protection for vulnerable communities. The party urges the Odisha government to ensure justice, apply laws fairly, and promote inter-community dialogue to restore trust and peace