‘Alvida ki Namaz’ offered peacefully in Uttar Pradesh with a few firsts
LUCKNOW : The ‘Alvida ki Namaz’ (Ramzan’s last Friday prayers) was offered peacefully amidst elaborate security arrangements across Uttar Pradesh.
This was the first time when there was no use of loudspeakers, and whichever few places they were used, its volume was within limits.
Also, this time there was no blocking of roads by the devouts to offer prayers. The change was the outcome of chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s directives regarding restricted use of loudspeakers and no blocking of roads.
The state authorities were on their toes for the few days, maintaining communication with clerics and religious leaders across the state and convincing them to follow the state government’s directives related to restricted use of loudspeakers and offering prayers within the mosques’ premises.
During a state-wide drive launched since Monday last, as many as 37,002 loudspeakers were removed and volume of 54,593 loudspeakers reduced to permissible limits.
UP additional chief secretary (ACS), home, Awanish Awasthi said prayers were offered peacefully amid guidelines issued by the state government. He said clerics and religious leaders unanimously supported the district administration and police in maintaining communal harmony and peace.
He said people restricted themselves in use of loudspeakers while offering prayers and no roads or streets were blocked across the state. “We are expecting the same on Eid (likely on May 3),” he emphasised.
Additional director general (ADG), law and order, Prashant Kumar said prayers were offered at 31,151 places across the state, including 19,949
mosques and 7,436 Eidgahs. He said police deployment was done strategically at 2,705 sensitive localities and 2,846 sensitive worship places across the state. Besides, the police officials were in touch with around 29,808 clerics for maintaining peace and communal harmony, he added.
He said 48 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and seven companies of central paramilitary force as well as over 1.25 lakh civil police personnel were deployed to ensure peace.
Meanwhile, a group of people in Saharanpur wanted to offer prayers on the road but they were convinced not to do so by police officials through dialogue and by roping in local clerics.
In Lucknow, prominent mosques, including Asifi Masjid, Eidgah in Aishbagh and Teele Wali Masjid witnessed huge turnout where the faithful offered prayers.
Fazlul Mannan, imam of Tile Wali Masjid, who led the ‘namaz’, said the prayers were offered peacefully. He said a huge turnout was witnessed at the mosque, despite the scorching heat. “Mosques had made sure that volume of loudspeakers remained within limits,” he added. “We had issued directives to masjid committees to keep the volume of loudspeakers within limits, as per the chief minister’s directives,” said Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, Imam Eidgah.