Still recovering from last year’s communal riots, Kandhamal witnessed fresh tension on Thursday after hand-written posters containing threats to a local BJP legislator — accused of leading murderous mobs during the riots — appeared in Raikia area of the district.

Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar said at least two posters warning G Udayagiri’s BJP MLA Manoj Pradhan and Bajrang Dal activists of dire consequences for “their role in the riots” were found pasted in Raikia.

This is the place which bore the brunt of the anti-Christian riots that followed the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda. At least 38 people were killed in the riots and hundreds were rendered homeless in the violence.

Police officials said the threat posters could have been the handiwork of Maoists as the area has a strong rebel presence. But they said they were also examining other possibilities.

Pradhan, who won by a margin of more than 24,000 votes in the Assembly elections this year, has been behind bars since last year. The 35-year-old RSS worker has 13 riot cases lodged against him including seven cases of murder in last year’s riots.

“We have tightened security at the sub-jail in G. Udayagiri, where Pradhan is lodged,” said Kandhamal SP Praveen Kumar.