Eid passes off peacefully in violence-hit Sambalpur

Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur: Eid-ul-Fitr passed off peacefully in violence-hit Sambalpur and other parts of Odisha on Saturday.

Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik greeted people on the occasion.

"May the auspicious occasion of Eid spread the spirit of togetherness, harmony and peace for all," Lal tweeted.

Patnaik, in a Twitter post, said, "Warm greetings to everyone on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. May Allah bring happiness, prosperity & peace in our lives and lead us on the path of compassion and love." Mass prayers were not allowed in Sambalpur this year due to the violence that took place during Hanuman Jayanti processions on April 12 and 14. People offered prayers at 10 different mosques in Sambalpur in smaller batches. Security was tightened, with the deployment of around 1,400 policemen and patrolling was intensified across Sambalpur city to prevent any untoward incident. However, internet services in the city remained suspended till 6 am on Sunday, Sambalpur District Magistrate Ananya Das said.

In Cuttack, a large number of people congregated at the Eidgah Ground near Qadam-e-Rasool Mosque and offered prayers. In Bhubaneswar, thousands of Muslims congregated at small and big mosques.

In the backdrop of the Sambalpur violence, security was tightened in other Muslim-inhabited areas such as Cuttack, Balasore, Kendrapara and Bhadrak. Additional forces were deployed near mosques to ensure peace.