New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, a slew of security measures have been put in place in Delhi’s Dwarka district, including Uttam Nagar, where a man was killed on Holi even as the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the city police to ensure that the situation in Uttam Nagar does not take “any ugly turn”.
Communal tension has gripped Uttam Nagar area since the killing of 26-year-old Tarun on March 4. The violence broke out after water from a balloon thrown by a girl from Tarun’s family splashed on a woman from his neighbour’s family.
The Delhi Police has drawn up a comprehensive plan to ensure peaceful celebrations. Besides rooftop surveillance, more than 100 picket points have been set up in Dwarka district.
“Adequate arrangements have been made and sufficient deployment will be in place to maintain law and order. We are fully prepared to deal with any situation,” a senior officer said.
The police said deployment in and around sensitive pockets, particularly Hastsal village, where the killing took place, has been reinforced and will remain in place throughout the festive period.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the people of Uttam Nagar do not want any bloodshed as they have already paid a heavy price for violence and urged the people of Delhi not to fall for any provocation.
According to the police, special focus is on mosques, Eidgahs and other religious sites, where a large number of people are expected to gather. Regular foot and vehicle patrols are being conducted as part of area domination measures.
Social media platforms are being closely monitored for provocative or inflammatory content, with several such posts already identified and removed, the police said, adding mixed-population areas have been identified as sensitive zones and are under enhanced watch.
As part of confidence-building measures, flag marches have been conducted in sensitive localities and will be repeated multiple times during Eid to reassure residents, they said.
However, some residents are still apprehensive.
Pradeep Shukla, president of the Uttam Nagar RWA, said security has been beefed up in the area.
“Now it feels like the calm before the storm. We are afraid, but we are trying to ensure that everything remains normal,” he said.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the city police and administration to ensure a conducive atmosphere for peaceful and dignified observance of Eid in Uttam Nagar.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the police bandobast in the area should be such that it instils a sense of safety and security in all.
It clarified that the police arrangements in the area shall continue till the upcoming festival of Ram Navami.
The order was passed on a PIL filed by a civil rights group, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, which approached the high court to prevent “imminent communal violence” on Eid in Uttam Nagar.
After hearing the parties, the court said Eid is a festival to rejoice and it is the duty of all authorities to ensure that on such a “pious occasion”, public life is not disrupted by any untoward incident of vandalism or hooliganism by any individual or any section of society.
“We thus direct the police and civil administration of the area to take all required action, permissible under law, to ensure that the situation does not take any ugly turn and an atmosphere is created conducive to peaceful and dignified observance of the festival of Eid, which is likely to be tomorrow,” the court ordered.
The court added that if, upon assessment of the situation, a need is felt to strengthen the arrangements, such measures shall be forthwith taken by the authorities.
The court issued notice on the PIL and listed it for hearing on April 6.
Advocate Sanjay Lao, standing counsel for Delhi Police, assured that adequate police personnel from Dwarka district, additional force from Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to ensure Eid passes without incident.
He further said that 50 inflammatory posts were taken down from social media platforms following monitoring of online platforms and requests have been made to take down about 170 such posts to date.
Extensive verification has also been undertaken of over 8,000 persons in the area, “aman committees” have been formed at every police station and 30 meetings have been held with the heads of religious places in the last two weeks, the police counsel said.
“Please tell the authorities not to be lax. Whatever happens in Delhi has its ripple,” the bench told the Delhi Police counsel.
Senior advocate Nitya Ramkrishnan, who appeared for the petitioner, submitted that on March 15, certain people openly called for violence against the members of the Muslim community in Uttam Nagar but no action was taken for hate speech by the police.
In a post in Hindi on X, Congress leader Gandhi alleged that the BJP and its ecosystem want bloodshed to continue and seize every opportunity of fanning violence and spreading hatred in society.
“An appeal to the residents of Delhi: Do not fall for any provocation – the strength of the country lies in our unity, brotherhood, and love. Jodo, jodo, Bharat Jodo…” he said.
Meanwhile, a civil society group comprising eminent Muslims wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday over “open threats” to the Muslim community in Uttam Nagar, and urged him to pass special instructions to the police to take strict action.
The letter by Citizens for Fraternity (CFF) was signed by former Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung, ex-AMU vice chancellor Zamir Uddin Shah, former MP Shahid Siddiqui, industrialist Saeed Shervani, and former customs commissioner Syed Mahmood Akhter.
“It is unfortunate that the reprehensible death of young Tarun on Holi, which we strongly condemn, has been allowed to simmer and escalate into communal trouble. Despite prompt police action and arrest of the perpetrators, there are numerous groups, individuals and organisations which have visited Uttam Nagar to disturb the peace of the area,” they said in their letter to Shah.
“It is our earnest request that special instructions be passed on to the police to be vigilant and take strict action against those issuing open threats. We are certain that your directions will have the necessary salutary effect,” the letter said. PTI TEAM KVK KVK
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