Lucknow: Friday prayers were conducted peacefully across Uttar Pradesh even as the state remained on high alert following last week’s violence in Bareilly. The administration turned sensitive areas into virtual fortresses with around 10,000 security personnel deployed in Bareilly alone.
Senior officials, including the SSP and DM, personally monitored the situation on the ground. Internet services in Bareilly were suspended for a second time on Thursday and will remain shut till Saturday. Drones were used to scan rooftops, while police, PAC and RRF personnel carried out extensive flag marches.
In Varanasi, ATS commandos conducted a mock drill at Cantt railway station and bus stand to check preparedness. Similar drills and flag marches were held in Kanpur and Prayagraj. In Gonda, the IG Range took to the streets to inspect security measures, while in Sambhal, heavy deployment was seen outside Jama Masjid.
In Sambhal’s Raya Buzurg village, residents themselves began demolishing a mosque built on government land. People first offered Friday prayers there and resumed demolition work afterwards.
Earlier, Sajjadanashin of Bareilly’s Ala Hazrat Dargah, Badrush Shariah Mufti Ahsan Miyan, urged Muslims to offer Friday prayers peacefully and return home.
“Do not pay attention to rumours. Peace must be preserved at all costs,” he said in an appeal.
The cleric announced that the annual ‘Julus-e-Gausia’, traditionally taken out to mark the Urs of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, will not be held this year in view of the current situation.
Instead, a brief programme will be held at 2 pm on Saturday at Sailani Raza Chowk, where clerics will address the gathering, followed by special prayers and ‘langar’ distribution.
Mufti Ahsan Miyan and Anjuman president Haji Shariq Noori said the decision applies only for this year and the procession will resume with full grandeur next year. Across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, police remained on alert. Authorities had earlier expressed concerns after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board called for a Bharat Bandh on October 3, though the appeal was later withdrawn in view of upcoming festivals.
Last Friday, Bareilly witnessed serious unrest over the “I Love Mohammad” controversy. The Ittehad-e-Millat Council, led by Maulana Tauqeer Raza, had called for a rally against the FIR lodged in the case. The administration denied permission but violence still broke out, forcing police to use lathicharge at several spots.
Police sources said inputs had suggested a fresh attempt at inciting violence, leading to the shutdown of internet on October 2. Investigators have identified Maulana Tauqeer Raza as the alleged mastermind of last week’s riots. So far, 10 FIRs have been filed, 2,500 people have been booked, 200 of them named, and 81 accused have been sent to jail.
The administration maintained that strict surveillance and preventive measures helped avert any untoward incident this Friday.