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Ahead of festivals: Yogi bolsters vigil for ‘communal harmony’
With Eid and Akshaya Tritiya likely to fall on the same day in May and many other festivals lined up, chief minister Yogi Adityanath stressed the need for police to remain extra cautious and directed deployment of extra forces and use of drones in sensitive areas, the official added.
In view of recent instances of communal violence in some states, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed authorities to step up vigil across the state to “maintain communal harmony” and “to pre-empt any type of communal flare-up”, a senior official in the home department said.
With Eid and Akshaya Tritiya likely to fall on the same day in May and many other festivals lined up, the chief minister stressed the need for police to remain extra cautious and directed deployment of extra forces and use of drones in sensitive areas, the official added.
The CM made the directions during a late night meeting to review the law and order situation with senior officials on Monday.
The orders came in the backdrop of violence during Hanuman Jayanti procession in Jahangirpuri area in Delhi last week and reports of violence in the course of Ram Navami rallies in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat and West Bengal recently.
In a detailed advisory, the CM said “no religious procession should be taken out without due permission”, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Adityanath also said that an affidavit should be taken from organisers regarding maintenance of peace and harmony before granting them permission, the official added. The chief minister said that permission should be given to only those religious processions which are taken out every year. No new processions should be allowed, the official said.
The state also ordered use of loudspeakers at religious sites in such a manner that the sound is limited to the premises.
