State government alerted administrative officers and asked them to gear up and implement a comprehensive security plan to meet out any kind of terror from militant group and other local threats (communal disturbance in Western UP) and ensure peaceful celebration of month of Shrawani Shivratri as well as on-going Holy month of Ramazan. The Government is also ready with action plan to ensure full safety during one of the biggest commemoration on occasion of Shivratri, which is falling this year with Alvida Ki Nawaz, the day on which the members of minority community also gather in huge number to offer Friday prayers.
In an official communiqué sent to all the district police chiefs, officers of respective zones and ranges, along with Anti-Terrorists Squad (ATS), Special Task Force (STF), Intelligence Department, and Government Railway Police (GRP), ADG (law & order) Mukul Goel said that the month of Shrawan which will start this year from July 13, `Kawariyas’ in large number collect `gangajal’ from Holi River Ganga in Haridwar, Brijghat (Panchsheelnagar), Karchala (Etah), Ganga (Varanasi) and Prayag (Allahabad) and go to Shiv Temple for `Jalabhisekh’. He said that the biggest gathering of Kawariyas moved from Haridwar to Moradabad ( Ghaziabad, Haridwar to Bijnore-Rampur, from Birjghat to Moradabad & Rampur, and Allahabad to Varanasi. He said that witnessing many violent incident in the past in wake of mishaps claiming life of Kawariyas they had decided to make necessary traffic diversions besides deploying heavy police force to maintain peace so local officers have been directed to take all necessary measures in this regard.
It may be mentioned here that besides all Mondays falling in month of Shrawan, the biggest gathering will be witnessed on Sharwani Shivratri which will fall on July 25 when more than 75 lakh devotees (Kanwariyas), are expected to throng Pura Mata Devi temple at Baghpat and Augharnath Temple at Meerut. During the entire month of Shrawan, over 50 million Kanwariyas are excepted to throng the Shiv temples which included Baba Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and famous `lodeshwar Mahadev’, temple in Barabanki where over a lakh of `Kanwariyas’, would turned for `Jalabhisekh’.
Goel said that besides taking certain measures to check that the kawariyas would not create nuisance, they would also restrict them from playing loud speakers during procession. They will also arrange fruits and other eatables for them and made some `Halt Points’ where they can take rest. He said that during this month, `Sawan Jhula Mela’ will be also organised. He claimed that to avert any terror plan, the sleuths of the both Anti-Terroris Squad (ATS) and Special Task Force (STF), would keep a close vigil, while special teams of the Intelligence agencies would be formed to collect and passed on specific intelligence inputs. He said that the ATS and STF would also keep a tab on social networking sites so that any rumour could not be spread to disturb peace while the mobile operators have been also directed to check passing of bulk messages, which could hurt the communal sentiments. It may be mentioned here that this year, the sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau had already sent a SOS to state government through which they alerted the local cops about any possible terror attack during the on-going festival season. The threat was mainly at crowded places, particularly trains. The local administration in Western UP had already decided to install close circuit television (CCTV) on all the vital religious as well as public installations besides erecting control rooms in Meerut, Bagpat and also in Haridwar to monitor each and every movements of kawariyas closely. The sleuths of both the specialised agencies, STF and ATS would also camp in Meerut till the completion of the month and they will just concentrate to check any major sabotage plan. Government has already demanded jawans of the Central Para-Military Force from Centre to deploy them along with jawans of Provincial Armed Constabulary to maintain law and order.