Lucknow, March 13 -- With Holi celebrations and Ramzan's Friday prayers set to occur simultaneously on March 14, the Uttar Pradesh police administration has ramped up security to prevent any communal tension.
In a bid to maintain harmony, the timing of Friday prayers has been adjusted in 18 districts across the state. In four districts - Bareilly, Sambhal, Shahjahanpur, and Aligarh - mosques have been covered with tarpaulin to shield them from Holi colours.
Bareilly, which has the highest number of mosques at 109, saw the Ram Barat procession on Thursday. Heavy security deployment of approximately 5,000 personnel is in place to safeguard the mosques along the procession route.
Similarly, 67 mosques in Shahjahanpur have been covered, with the police conducting flag marches in sensitive areas ahead of the Laat Sahab procession. Over 1,000 additional police personnel from other districts have been deployed here.
In Sambhal, 10 mosques, and in Aligarh, three mosques have been covered, with drone surveillance monitoring the situation.
The Uttar Pradesh Police have issued strict guidelines, urging citizens to celebrate Holi peacefully and refrain from initiating new traditions that could lead to unrest. Additional police forces have been stationed in sensitive areas, while drone surveillance will monitor crowd movements in districts like Kanpur, Aligarh, and Meerut.
Shahi Imam of Lucknow's Eidgah, Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, announced that Friday prayers will be offered at 2 PM instead of the usual 12:45 PM. This decision has been welcomed by Muslim religious leaders across the state, including the chief cleric of Ayodhya, who has also decided to conduct Namaz after 2 PM.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the public to respect each other's religious sentiments. "Holi comes once a year, but Friday Namaz is held every week. Those who wish to avoid the festive chaos can offer prayers at home," he stated.
The administration is also closely monitoring social media platforms to prevent the spread of fake news and inflammatory content. With these proactive measures, authorities aim to ensure that both Holi and Friday Namaz are observed in an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood.
"The police administration across the state is prepared for the Holi festivities. Several rounds of peace committee meetings have been held in all districts across the state," Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said.
"Every measure will be taken to ensure that the celebrations are held peacefully. Police will not allow anyone to disturb law and order in the state," he added.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.