Nuh district in Haryana has been turned into a fortress with heavy deployment of police personnel at various places ahead of Vishva Hindu Parishad's (VHP) planned Braj Mandal Yatra almost a month after communal violence rocked the town. Police have made several checkpoints across the district in view of VHP's yatra today, i.e. the last Monday of the holy month of Sawan this year. Now, with Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat's proposed 'Sobha Yatra' into the picture as well, the state administration has taken stringent security measures. The deployment was done on Sunday only, however, the checking intensified as the day passed.
Visuals shared by the news agency ANI show police asking for IDs of commuters passing through different checkpoints and investigating their vehicles to prevent any untoward incident. Police personnel could be seen guarding checkpoints near a government medical college and hospital in Nuh ahead of the yatra. Notably, checking is also being done at the Nuh-Gurugram border as last month, the violence that began in Nuh had also taken Gurugram in its grip.
Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar advised devotees to observe prayers at local temples on Monday as an alternative to the 'yatra' after the state government refrained from granting permission for the procession.
However, VHP leader Vinod Bansal said the 'Jal Abhishek Yatra' will be taken out at 11 a.m. on Monday, emphasising that "no permission has been sought so there is no question about the permission being denied".
Talking to ANI, Nuh SP Kuldeep Singh said that the situation is peaceful in the district. He added that only locals in Nuh will be allowed to enter the district and outside vehicles are being returned from various checkpoints.
"Security arrangements have been made in view of Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) call for Yatra today. The situation is peaceful here. Permission has not been granted to conduct 'Yatra'. Only locals of Nuh are allowed to enter the district, outside vehicles are returned from this point," Singh said.
The internet and bulk SMS services have already been suspended in the district in view of security concerns while prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC are effectively limiting gatherings of more than four people until Monday. As a precaution, the district administration has also ordered shutting down educational institutions and banks for the day.
1,900 Haryana Police personnel and 24 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed, news agency PTI reported a police spokesperson in Nuh as informing.
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