Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the state Assembly on Monday that 54 incidents of communal riots and seven cases of mob lynching have been reported in the state since June 2024.
In a written reply to a question by Biju Janata Dal MLA Goutam Buddha Das, Majhi said Balasore district recorded the highest number of communal riot cases at 24, followed by Khurda district, which includes the state capital Bhubaneswar, with 16 cases.
The Chief Minister said the government has strengthened intelligence gathering and is taking strict action against individuals attempting to disturb peace and communal harmony.
However, the reply did not mention the communal violence that broke out in Cuttack during Durga Puja immersion in October 2025. The incident triggered unrest in the city and led to a curfew that lasted nearly three days.
The violence began with a clash during the immersion procession and later escalated when members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad clashed with police, allegedly engaging in vandalism and arson.
According to the Chief Minister, around 300 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the riots, though chargesheets have been filed in fewer than half of the cases.
Over the past 20 months, at least six towns in Odisha witnessed curfews and Internet shutdowns following communal incidents, including the lynching of Bengali-speaking Muslims. Officials said that in several cases the accused were linked to right-wing groups.
Officials also acknowledged that some incidents may have gone unreported, particularly when victims are daily-wage workers who are hesitant to approach the police.
Opposition parties have criticised the government, alleging a rise in hate crimes and communal tensions in the state, where the Bharatiya Janata Party formed its first solo government in June 2024.
Data from the National Crime Records Bureau shows that Odisha recorded 10 communal or religion-based incidents in 2021, 44 in 2023, a pre-election year, and 15 in 2025. Meanwhile, data shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Parliament indicated that the state witnessed nine communal incidents in 2018 and none in 2019.
To address tensions, the Chief Minister said peace committees are being formed at the police station level, with local administrations coordinating between communities to maintain harmony.
Among those lynched were 19-year-old Bengali Muslim migrant worker Juyel Rana, who was killed in Sambalpur district on 24 December 2025 after being labelled “Bangladeshi”; 35-year-old Dalit man Kishore Chamar, lynched in Deogarh district on 3 September 2025 over false allegations of cow killing; 14-year-old Sambit Bindhani, beaten to death by villagers on suspicion of goat theft in Mayurbhanj district on 2 March 2026; and a Muslim man, Makarand Muhammad, who died after a lynch assault by cow vigilantes in Balasore district on 14 January 2026.