New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming festivals Eid and Akshay Tritiya, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday issued guidelines according to which no programmes or religious events should be held by obstructing traffic, news agency PTI reported. The decision comes after Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, Director General of Police (DGP) R K Vishwakarma and other senior officials held a review meting to take stock of the security arrangements for the festivities.


“There should be adequate arrangements for the security of religious places and additional police forces should be deployed in sensitive areas. In the past, we have been able to do this through communication. This year also, we have to make the same effort,” PTI quoted DGP Vishwakarma as saying.


Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad directed the officials concerned to ensure all religious events are held at designated places and under no circumstances are they held by obstructing roads and traffic.


According to the guidelines, no religious procession or any other procession are to be taken out without due permission and permission will only be given to those religious processions that are traditional.


The principal secretary also told the officers to be vigilant about social media and ensure immediate action to any attempt aimed to spread fake news.


"The safety of every citizen in the state is the primary responsibility of all of us. The month of Ramzan is going on. Eid-ul-Fitr, Akshaya Tritiya and Parshuram Jayanti are likely to be celebrated on the same day on April 22. In view of the present environment, the police will have to be extra careful," Prasad said.


"Police will deal sternly with those issuing mischievous statements. Strict action should be taken against the chaotic elements that try to cause harm to the peaceful atmosphere in the state," he added.


DGP Vishwakarma also took the details of the preparations made for the upcoming festivals from all the zone/range/district level officers and instructed that police force should continuously patrol congested areas and senior officers should also join them.