Bhubaneswar: Odisha police Wednesday arrested eight persons on the charge of vandalising and attacking a group of people taking food on the lunar eclipse day at Lohia Bhavan here, police said.
The arrests were made based on the FIR by the group who claimed to be rationalists and organised a biriyani feast here and in Berhampur town on Tuesday defying the tradition of fasting during an eclipse.
They were opposed by the group who called themselves traditionalists and clashes took place in both places.
The Kharavel Nagar police station registered a case based on an FIR lodged by the rationalists’ group and arrested eight people on the charge of physically assaulting the rival group members.
Several complaints and counter-complaints were lodged in different police stations in Bhubaneswar, Puri, Berhampur and Khalikote towns.
The traditionalists in their complaints at Singhadwar police station in Puri and Khalikote police station in Ganjam district alleged that the rationalists not only defied tradition but also hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus who are believers of Lord Jagannath.
PTI