By Scroll Staff

A curfew was imposed in areas of Odisha’s Cuttack on Sunday evening amid communal tensions after a Durga Puja idol procession and a Vishwa Hindu Parishad rally turned violent, The Hindu reported.

The 36-hour curfew was imposed after the violence left 25 persons, including police personnel, injured. Eight of those injured are said to be in a serious condition.

Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh told the newspaper that there was a “personal quarrel” during an immersion procession on Friday night.

The dispute between members of two communities took place after residents allegedly objected to certain songs being played during the procession, The Indian Express reported.

Stones and bottles were thrown at the procession, in which several persons were injured. Four miscreants were arrested and produced in the court on Saturday, Singh said.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad had on Sunday organised a bike rally, which had not been granted police permissions due to concerns of law and order. Tensions erupted again when the police tried to stop the bike rally, the police commissioner said, according to The Hindu.

“The rally was headed towards some sensitive areas where communal tension could have flared up,” Singh said. “As the police took a firm stand and prevented the rally from proceeding further, the participants started pelting stones at the police.”

The police baton-charged and fired rubber bullets to disperse the miscreants, the city police chief said, adding that the situation was brought under control.

On Monday, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for a 12-hour bandh in the city to demand action against those who allegedly threw stones at the procession on Friday, The Hindu reported.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is part of a group of Hindutva organisations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Following the violence, the authorities also suspended internet services in Cuttack for 24 hours till 7 pm on Monday, the Hindustan Times reported. The use of social media applications was also barred in Cuttack city and some nearby areas for 12 hours starting 7 pm on Sunday.

This story was originally published in scroll.in.