No Religious Event Without Permission, Increase Police Patrolling: UP CM Yogi

CM Adityanath issued instructions for the maintenance of peace and harmony during festivals.

Yogi Adityanath

(Photo: The Quint)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, 18 April, instructed that no religious procession should be taken out in the state without due permission, and that such permission may not be granted to events that are not traditionally conducted.

Adityanath noted that Eid and Akshaya Tritiya are likely to fall on the same day, which is 3 May, and issued instructions for the maintenance of peace and harmony during festivals.

• No procession/religious procession should be taken out without due permission. Before permission, an affidavit should be taken from the organiser regarding maintaining peace and harmony

• Permission should be given to only those religious processions which are traditional, new events should not be given unnecessary permission

• No permission will be given for using microphones at any new locations

• Those already using loudspeakers can continue to do so while ensuring the volume does not disturb anyone

• The leave of all administrative/police officers, from station house officer, circle officer, and district police chiefs to the district magistrate, the divisional commissioner is cancelled till 4 May with immediate effect

• Additional police forces should be deployed in sensitive areas and drones used for keeping an eye on the situation

• Every evening, the police force must do foot patrolling and police response vehicles (PRVs) should remain active

• Police officers of the additional director general rank and those acting as police station in-charges should hold dialogue with religious leaders and eminent personalities in their respective areas

The directives come after CM Adityanath chaired a law-and-order review meeting via videoconference on Monday evening. The CM called for stern action against those making mischievous statements, and stated, "Those trying to vitiate the atmosphere should be dealt with strictly."

The statements come at a time when a spate of communal violence incidents have been observed across the country since Ram Navami, with clashes erupting in Delhi's Jahangirpuri on Hanuman Jayanti.