Vigil stepped up to prevent clashes after Friday prayers
PREVENTIVE MEASURES UP govt suspends mobile internet in six cities, Hyderabad police deny permit for rallies
NEWDELHI:Police officers, mainly in Uttar Pradesh, want to prevent a repeat of the events of December 20, when protests that began in several cities and towns of India’s most populous state after Friday afternoon prayers turned violent, leaving 20 dead, of whom 19 died of bullet injuries.
Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act took place in other cities too, including in the capital New Delhi, resulting in some incidents of arson and several people being detained, but the ones in UP were violent.
UP police initially claimed that it was the protesters who fired bullets that injured several policemen and protesters, and killed many of the latter. While it is clear that some of the protestors did use guns, the police in at least three towns have since admitted that they did fire, albeit in the air in two of the towns.
In Lucknow, inspector general (IG) of police, law and order, Praveen Kumar said the situation was normal across the state, but the police force is on high alert. Kumar said district police chiefs were asked to communicate with Muslim clerics and other religious leaders and hold peace committee meetings with local groups. He said additional policemen had been deployed in some districts to ensure a peaceful Friday.
A conference — attended by religious leaders of different faiths — was held in the UP capital on Thursday. Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahli, the Imam of Aishbagh Eidgah — where the conference was held — said, “Violence is not a solution to any problem. Things can be resolved though dialogue.” He said the state should hold discussions to resolve the issues that have led to large-scale violence across the state.
Rajendra Singh Bagga of the gurdwara management committee said: “People should not create barriers on the basis of religion. It is for the state government to ensure that no injustice is meted out to anyone.” Hindu religious leader Acharya Krishna Mohan said all Indians must live peacefully. “Vandalising public property is not a solution,” he said. The state has decided to suspend on Friday mobile internet services in many districts as well as six cities— Agra, Mathura, Firozabad, Saharanpur, Bijnor and Bulandshahr.
In Hyderabad, central zone deputy commissioner of police P
Vishwaprasad said no permission had been given for any procession, rally or public assembly anywhere in the city on Friday. Last Friday, there was a protest by hundreds of Muslims coming out of historic Mecca Masjid at Charminar. The protests were peaceful, though, and did not last very long.
A large number of police forces would be deployed and kept on alert at Mecca Masjid as a precautionary measure, the police said.
In Uttarakhand, police have issued a statewide alert to prevent any untoward incident on
Friday, according to Ashok Kumar, director general of police (law & order).
In Madhya Pradesh, where there were violent protests last week in Jabalpur, extra policemen have been deployed in many parts, especially the “sensitive” ones, according to additional director general of police (intelligence) SW Naqvi.
In West Bengal, even though no special arrangements have been made on Friday, the police will maintain vigil in six districts that witnessed maximum violence last Friday.