UP police beef up security ahead of Friday prayers

The Uttar Pradesh police have asked senior officers to make all necessary arrangements and step up vigil in sensitive localities along with maintaining aerial vigil through drones when Friday prayers are offered at different mosques till the crowd gets dispersed

The Uttar Pradesh police have beefed up security and deployed forces in 24 districts including Lucknow as a precautionary measure ahead of the Friday prayers, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Uttar Pradesh police have deployed forces in 24 districts ahead of the Friday prayers.

The move comes in view of the violence reported on two consecutive Fridays after prayers on June 3 and June 10 during the protests against the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed made by two former BJP spokespersons. Violence broke out in Kanpur after Friday prayers on June 3 while violence and protest were witnessed in nine districts including Prayagraj, Saharanpur, Firozabad, Moradabad, Hathras, Lakhimpur Kheri, Ambedkarnagar, Aligarh and Jalaun on June 10. About 357 people have been arrested in 13 FIRs lodged in nine districts of UP in this connection since last week.

ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar said the state police have made foolproof security arrangements to avert any law-and-order issue and maintain peace across all districts. He said senior police officers have been asked to make all necessary arrangements and step up vigil in sensitive localities along with maintaining aerial vigil through drones when prayers are offered at different mosques till the crowd gets dispersed.

Armed and civil police personnel have been deployed strategically at different points to guard against any breakdown in law and order.

The sensitive districts where special vigil is being maintained include Prayagraj, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Meerut, Firozabad, Shambhal, Shamli, Kanpur, Lucknow Hathras, Aligarh, Bareilly, Rampur, Budaun, Jalaun, Ambedkarnagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Agra, Mau, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Ayodhya, Bahraich and Gonda.

The technical team of the police has set up a “mobile control room” in a vehicle to receive video footage from CCTVs installed at different locations and drones that are being used over sensitive localities.

The centralised control room at the police headquarters in Lucknow is also buzzing with activity. All details received at the control room are being promptly conveyed to senior police officials including officiating director general of police, DS Chauhan and additional DG, law and order, Prashant Kumar.

Lucknow commissioner of police (CP) DK Thakur and joint CP, law and order Piyush Mordia took a round of sensitive localities in the state capital to analyse preparations before people gather for Friday prayers.

The officials also held a meeting with clerics and religious leaders on Thursday to ensure peace and communal harmony.

Deployment of intelligence sleuths in civvies, putting up CCTVs at strategic locations and round the clock vigil on people who have been involved in causing trouble in the past as well as tracking movement of several religious leaders too is part of the police plan.

According to a press release issued by the state home department on Thursday, senior home and police officials carried out video conferencing with district police officials to maintain peace and law and order situation. Police and paramilitary forces staged a flag march in sensitive localities.The officials have been asked to conduct video recording to identify troublemakers.