Bhubaneswar: As Odisha’s cultural capital Cuttack remained tense following two consecutive clashes during Durga idol immersion processions, senior BJP leader and local MP Bhartruhari Mahtab on Monday said he had earlier cautioned the administration about potential trouble in the city. Mahtab, a seven-time MP who was re-elected on a BJP ticket, said he had flagged concerns about the release of certain people from jail with a record of “disturbance-creating habits”.

“Some people have a habit of creating disturbances. They should have been identified. I had cautioned the administration earlier that such persons had been released from jail, and some others were provoking them. I shared the information I received,” Mahtab told a local television channel.

Mahtab said he believed the Odisha government was taking steps to restore peace. “The government is taking utmost care to maintain peace, and most enlightened citizens have also appealed to both communities. But miscreants must be dealt with firmly,” he said.

Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, in a post on X, accused the VHP of organising a rally without police permission and inciting violence.

Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said prohibitory orders, including a 36-hour-long curfew, were imposed to bring the situation under control. “We will not let Cuttack’s natural lifestyle be disturbed. Such incidents will not be repeated. The situation will return to normal soon,” he told reporters.

Congress MLA from Barabati-Cuttack, Sofia Firdous, condemned the violence and demanded strict action. “The administration must identify the trouble-makers and ensure justice. Cuttack’s tradition of ‘Bhaichara’ (brotherhood) must be preserved,” she said. On Sunday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, CPIM (M) State secretary Suresh Panigrahi, and other leaders also appealed for peace and unity.