NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Tension prevailed in Kendrapara town in coastal Orissa after police 'forcibly' tried to remove the statue of Saudi-born extremist Osama bin Laden from a Laxmi puja pandal.
According to police sources, on receiving complaints about a statue of Osama at a puja pandal in Keshpur Bazar, the police requested the organiser to remove it.
However, the organisers refused.
The situation took a turn for the worse when the organisers Bhootnath Puja Committee prevented even a police team from removing the statue.
The state Bajrang Dal chief Bhuban Mohan Jena, who visited the area, described the police action as highly uncalled for and castigated the cops for 'creating unnecessary trouble' in the area.
There was nothing wrong in exhibiting the statue of Osama on the puja pandal as it had been done in various other places in the state during the Durga puja celebrations, Jena pointed out.
Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar, however, defended the police action saying that the police never went beyond making a formal request to the organisers to voluntarily remove the statue.
Kumar assured that the situation is now under control.
It may be recalled that during Durga puja celebrations in Behrampur town, some puja pandals had replaced demon king Mahisasur's statue with that of Osama's.
The organisers of these celebrations had turned down requests by the police to remove the Osama statues.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
