In 4 days, 10,923 loudspeakers removed from religious sites
Police deployment was increased and Section 144 imposed to maintain law and order in the area
LUCKNOW : Around 10,923 loudspeakers were removed from religious places and the volume of other 35,221 was set to permissible limits across Uttar Pradesh over the past four days following a government order, said senior police officials on Wednesday.
The action came days after the state government issued orders for removal of loudspeakers from religious places across UP, they said. The home department sought a compliance report by April 30 from all districts and police commissionerates over removal of loudspeakers/reducing their volume as per the directives of the UP Pollution Control Board.
Home department officials asserted that loudspeakers were being removed from all religious places without discrimination.
During a law and order review meeting with senior officials last week, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that everyone has the freedom to follow his/her method of worship according to his/her religious ideology.
“Though microphones can be used, make sure the sound does not come out of any premises. Other people should not face any problem,” he said.
“A statewide drive is being undertaken to remove loudspeakers from religious places and set their volume within permissible limits. As part of this exercise, 10,923 loudspeakers were removed and the volume of 35,221 others was reduced to permissible limits so far,” said Prashant Kumar, ADG (law and order).
A home department official said religious leaders of both Hindu and Muslim communities in many districts had unanimously agreed to reduce the volume of loudspeakers.
HARIDWAR: A day after the Haridwar district administration denied permission for holding a Hindu mahapanchayat at Bhagwanpur and imposed Section 144 under the CrPC, the event was not held in Dada Jalalpur village on Wednesday.
The call for the mahapanchayat was given by Hindu organisation Kali Sena to discuss the attack on the devotees who had carried the religious procession on April 16 in Dada Jalalpur village. Police on Tuesday evening arrested Kali Sena state coordinator Swami Dineshanand Bharti and Swami Anand Swarup of Shankaracharya Parishad — a council of saints — who had arrived at Toda Kalyanpur ashram in Roorkee to head for Dada Jalalpur.
“We arrested six people under Section 151 of the CrPC. There was peace in Bhagwanpur and no untoward incident was reported neither was any gathering or meeting held,” said Bhagwanpur station house officer Amarjeet Singh.
As per Section 151, a “police officer knowing of a design to commit any cognizable offence may arrest, without orders from a magistrate and without a warrant, the person so designing, if it appears to such officer that the commission of the offence cannot be otherwise prevented.”
Heavy deployment of police personnel in and around Dada Jalalpur village in Roorkee prevented the activists of Kali Sena, and saints associated with Dharma Sansad to reach the village for the mahapanchayat on Wednesday.
Apart from five companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), 180 constables, 65 sub-inspectors, five deputy superintendents of police, one superintendent of police and three station house officers were deployed in Dada Jalalpur village Section 144 was also imposed in Dada Patti, Hasanpur, Khubbanpur, Latifpur, Bahabalpur, Manak Majra, Akbar Pur Kalsi,Sikrauda, Khedi Shikaupir and Haloomazra villages which fall in 5 km radius of Dada Jalalpur.
After the Supreme Court pulled up the Uttarakhand government over Dharm Sansad events and directed it on Tuesday to ensure that no hate speeches are delivered at the sansad to be held in Roorkee on Wednesday, the Haridwar district administration didn’t take any chance. It even held peace meetings with representatives from both communities.
Stern measures of administration led to Hindu outfits backing from staging the Hindu mahapanchayat.
Mahamandaleshwar PramodAnand, associated with Dharma Sansad, said that they were to participate in the mahapanchayat but owing to Supreme Court directive and local administration’s restrictions, saints abided by the law.
He, however, clarified that Dharma Sansad saints had nothing to do with the meeting as it was not a Dharma Sansad but a mahapanchayat, called on by Kali Sena. On April 20, Kali Sena had also called on staging a symbolic protest at Bhagwanpur sub-divisional magistrate office. But police had stopped them, following which Kali Sena activists recited Hanuman Chalisa at Karaundi toll plaza and announced convening the Hindu mahapanchayat on April 27 at Dada Jalalpur village.
“As Supreme Court has been monitoring the status of the mahapanchayat, police and administration ensured no breach of law and order takes place at Dada Jalalpur village. No outsider was allowed to enter the area and no meeting was held at Dada Jalalpur village,” said senior superintendent of police (SSP),Haridwar, Yogendra Singh Rawat.
Meanwhile, Muslim outfit Jamiyat Ulema-e-Hind has demanded a transparent probe in Dada Jalalpur clashes.
“An impartial and unbiased probe should be done in this sensitive case. An experienced and capable investigating officer should be handed the case. No side should be given weightage on any ground. Culprits behind the violence on religious procession at Dada Jalalpur should be sternly dealt with. We also demand compensation to the people whose houses, shops and buildings got damaged during the April 16 violent clash,” said general secretary Jamiyat Ulema-Hind Maulana Sharafat Kasmi.
Three-time Congress legislator from Manglaur, Qazi Nizamuddin, also demanded a transparent probe.
“Congress has sought a fair probe. A delegation led by party state president Karan Mahra has already met director general of police (DGP) Ashok Kumar and appraised him of the need for a transparent probe. No one should be allowed to disturb peace and harmony that exists among Hindus and Muslims in Uttarakhand,” said Nizamuddin.