Security tightened, outsiders barred from entering Haryana’s Nuh after ‘shobha yatra’ call

Communal clashes had erupted in Nuh and its adjoining areas after a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked by a mob on July 31.

Nuh: Outsiders will be barred from entering Nuh and security has been beefed up in the district and other areas in view of the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat’s call for a ‘shobha yatra’ on Monday, despite the authorities denying permission for the procession.

Officials said police and paramilitary forces have been deployed to keep a strict vigil while security at inter-state and inter-district borders has also been tightened.

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As a precautionary measure, the Nuh district administration has already ordered the closure of educational institutions and banks on Monday, suspended mobile Internet and bulk SMS services, and imposed prohibitory orders in the communally-sensitive district.

It has also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, preventing the assembly of four or more people in an area, till Monday.

Communal clashes had erupted in Nuh and its adjoining areas after a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked by a mob on July 31 leading to the death of six people, including two home guards and a cleric.

On August 13, the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat gave a call to resume the Brij Mandal Shobha Yatra in Nuh on August 28 which was disrupted by the communal clashes in July.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad has said the procession will be taken out and asserted that there is no need to obtain permission for such religious events. However, the authorities have denied permission for the yatra.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday asked devotees to offer prayers at temples in their neighbourhood on Monday instead of holding any ‘yatra’. Permission has not been granted for the ‘yatra’, he said.

“Instead of a ‘yatra’, people can visit temples in their areas for ‘jalabhishek’,” he said and asserted that it is the state government’s responsibility to maintain law and order.

August 28 is the last Monday of the holy month of Shravan.

A few locals said they have no objection to holding the religious procession if it is allowed but asserted that there should be no provocative sloganeering during the yatra.

Amit Gujjar, a resident of Nuh said he has no objection to holding the ‘yatra’ but it must be ensured that no slogans are raised during the procession that may hurt religious sentiments. Another local, Naseem Ahmed, said they will welcome the ‘yatra’ if it is allowed by the authorities.

Multiple layers of barricades have been erected by police at various points and vehicles entering Nuh were thoroughly checked by security personnel.

The Haryana chief minister is learnt to have held a meeting with Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur in Chandigarh on Sunday to take stock of the situation.
ADGP CID Alok Mittal was also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Board of School Education, Haryana, on Sunday announced the postponement of the diploma in elementary education exam in Nuh. The exam, which was to take place on Monday, will now be held on September 4.

It said the decision to postpone the exam was taken in the wake of the imposition of prohibitory orders and the closure of schools in Nuh on Monday.

The government has also announced the suspension of mobile Internet from August 26.