States step up security for Friday prayers after last week’s violence
HT Correspondents
LUCKNOW/RANCHI/KOLKATA/ JAMMU: Security will be heightened around mosques in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir to prevent repeat of violence and protests after Friday prayers as witnessed on June 10, officials said on Wednesday.
After Friday prayers on June 10, violence was reported from Prayagraj, Kanpur and Saharanpur districts in Uttar Pradesh, Ranchi in Jharkhand and Howrah in West Bengal during protests over remarks on Prophet Mohammed by now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled media head of the Delhi BJP unit, Naveen Jindal.
On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh police sounded an alert to all district police chiefs to intensify vigil around mosques and ensure necessary deployment of personnel to avert any law-andorder trouble.
Police officers in Lucknow, Kanpur and Saharanpur said the district administrations have imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) to prevent gatherings on roads and at public places.
“People have been advised to go back home after the prayers at the mosques. We have also asked local religious leaders to ensure that there is no untoward incident. Peace committee meetings are also being held regularly,” a senior Uttar Pradesh police officer said.
In Ranchi, where two persons were killed and about a dozen injured on June 10, police officials said section 144 will continue in six police stations areas, including parts of Mahatma Gandhi road. “Extra police force continued to be deployed in these areas. If needed, additional police force will be deployed there,” a senior district police officer said.
In West Bengal, where the violence spread from Howrah on Friday to Murshidabad on Saturday, police officials said additional police forces are being deployed in sensitive districts to maintain law and order.
West Bengal’s advocate general SM Mookerhee has informed Calcutta high court that the state government will bring in central forces if the situation goes out of hand.
Jammu divisional commissioner Ramesh Kumar said: “There is adequate deployment of security personnel in communally sensitive districts like Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Ramban and Poonch.”