About 30 injured in violence during 12-hr shutdown in Puri

Around 30 people, including 10 police personnel, were injured in violence during a 12-hour shutdown on Wednesday by an outfit to protest against the introduction of queue system for devotees in Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri district.

The violence erupted during the dawn-to-dusk shutdown in the seaside pilgrim town called by Sri Jagannath Sena after the police picked up its convener Priyadarshan Patnaik and held him under preventive detention.

The outfit had given a call for 'Puri bandh' soon after the queue system was introduced in the temple on Monday on an experimental basis.

Asserting that the stir would be further intensified, Patnaik said the manner in which the new system was introduced had hurt the sentiments of a large number of devotees.

Activists of Sri Jagannath Sena and the locals held a demonstration demanding the immediate release of Patnaik. They also blocked the 'Bada Danda' - the Grand Avenue facing Jagannath Temple by burning tyres in a number of places.

A mob barged into the 12th century shrine, uprooted barricades erected on 'Baisi Pahacha', the 22 steps leading from the main gate to the shrine and near the 'Singhadwara' (the Lion Gate) and ransacked the office of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), police said.

As the 'Bada Danda' virtually turned into a battleground, police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to lathi-charge to control the situation, they said.

The police outpost and an information centre near the 'Singhadwara' and the town police station were ransacked by the unruly mob, which burnt tyres and indulged in stone pelting, a senior police official said.

Around 30 people, including 10 police personnel, were injured in stone pelting by bandh supporters and subsequent police action to control the situation, police said.

Many structures suffered extensive damage in the mob attack, they said, adding that the agitators pelted stones at the residence of Puri superintendent of police and local MLA and Revenue minister Maheswar Mohanty.

Normal life was crippled in the holy town due to the shutdown as shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed. Traffic came to a halt with protesters putting up pickets and blockades at many places, police said.

Later a flag march was held by the police and the force was deployed at strategic locations to bring the situation under control and restore normalcy in the pilgrim town, said Director General of Police (DGP) R P Sharma, who held a meeting to take stock of the situation.

"The situation is now well under control and devotees are able to have proper darshan in the temple," he said. He added that the police is keeping a close watch on the situation.

Inspector General of Police (Central Range), Soumendra Priyadarshi, who led the flag march, said the district collector will hold talks with leaders of Jagannath Sena to resolve the issue. The SJTA chief administrator will also join the process to settle the matter as soon as possible.

Puri district Collector Jyoti Prakash Das said some anti-social elements indulged in violent activities during the shutdown, causing damage to government properties.

The situation was brought under control quickly to prevent any further flare up, he said.

An official said the queue system was introduced on an experimental basis and a review would be done as locals and servitors opposed it.