The Odisha Legislative Assembly was informed on Monday (March 9) that dozens of incidents of communal violence and several cases of mob lynching have been reported in the state since mid-2024. The information was provided by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in a written reply to the House.

According to the Chief Minister, “54 incidents of communal riots and seven cases of mob lynchings were reported in the state since June 2024,” The Indian Express reported.

The data placed before the Assembly showed that Balasore recorded the highest number of communal riot cases, with 24 incidents. This was followed by 16 cases in Khurda, the district that includes the state capital Bhubaneswar.

The Chief Minister stated that close to 300 people had been arrested in connection with the violence, though chargesheets have so far been filed in fewer than half of the registered cases.

The official response, however, did not refer to the communal unrest reported in Cuttack during the Durga Puja immersion in October 2025. The incident had led to an unprecedented situation in the city, where a curfew was imposed for nearly three days after clashes broke out during the immersion procession.

In the days that followed, members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad allegedly clashed with police personnel and were involved in incidents of vandalism and arson.

Opposition parties used the figures disclosed in the Assembly to criticise the government, alleging that the state had witnessed a rise in hate crimes and communal clashes. Responding to these concerns, the Chief Minister said the administration was working to maintain communal harmony by strengthening coordination among communities through peace committees functioning under various police stations and local administrative units.

Majhi also said steps had been taken to enhance intelligence gathering and ensure prompt action against those attempting to disturb law and order.

According to the Chief Minister, the state government is monitoring the situation closely and acting against individuals responsible for triggering communal tensions.

Over the past 20 months, several towns across Odisha have witnessed curfews and suspension of internet services following communal disturbances. These incidents have included cases of mob violence, among them the lynching of Bengali-speaking Muslims. In many such cases, officials acknowledged that the accused were linked to right-wing groups.

Some government officials also admitted that not all incidents may have been formally recorded, as daily wage earners and vulnerable groups often hesitate to approach the police to lodge complaints.

Political debate over the issue has intensified since the Bharatiya Janata Party formed its first standalone government in the state in June 2024. Opposition leaders have accused the administration of failing to curb what they describe as the spread of “communal tension” in Odisha.

Official data from the National Crime Records Bureau indicates that the number of communal or religion-based incidents in the state has fluctuated over the years. Odisha recorded 10 such cases in 2021 and 44 in 2023, the year preceding the Assembly election, while 15 incidents were reported in 2025.

Figures shared earlier in Parliament by the Ministry of Home Affairs had shown nine communal incidents in 2018 and none in 2019, highlighting the changing pattern of such cases in the state.