Lucknow: The communal clashes in Kanpur on June 3 have forced the Uttar Pradesh government to beef up security around mosques for Friday prayers, sources said. A senior official of the administration said that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC) had been imposed in Kanpur and Lucknow to prevent gathering on roads and other public places. Additional director general (ADG) of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar said police had been deployed at sensitive places. The Police officials are in touch with clerics and other group leaders for maintaining peace and communal harmony, he added.
Also Read : Gyanvapi Masjid case: Next hearing on July 4, Now Hindu side will present its point
Special deployment has been made in sensitive districts, like Firozabad, Shamli, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Agra, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, and Lucknow, he said, adding that the police carried out a riot control drills in some districts. There was an extra alertness in Ayodhya, taking note of the rumours of a ‘Bharat Bandh’ appeal on June 10 circulated on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
In Kanpur, tight security arrangements have been made. The Police have constituted a committee to look into cases of alleged false arrests after the June 3 violence in Kanpur. In the last four days, the police arrested 54 people and were making efforts to establish the identity of at least 600 others allegedly involved in the Kanpur clashes. A Special Investigation Team had also been formed to examine video and CCTV footages of the violence.
Also Read : SIT sifting through bank accounts of Kanpur riot main accused
Kanpur Shahar Qazi, Saqib Adeeb Misbahi has appealed to the people saying, “Communal harmony and peace are paramount. If the community members have any grievances, they should come to me and I would take it up with the authorities.” The Sunni Ulema Council has also appealed to the Muslims to go home after the Friday prayers and cross-check information in case of any rumours. “A lot of wrong information is in circulation, so do not believe it until you have cross-checked it,” said Haji Salees, Convener of the Council.
