Hyderabad, April 12: The police are gearing up to tackle any problem during festivals of Sriram Navami on Tuesday and Hanuman Jayanthi, a week later.
Additional forces are being deployed with history-sheeters and communal elements to be kept in check to prevent any untoward incident.
Trouble had broken out last year over erection of religious flags and curfew had to be clamped in several parts, particularly sensitive parts in the Old City, as riots broke out.
With majority of paramilitary forces, deployed in the city to deal with Telangana agitations since December, moved out in view of elections in other states, the police department has decided to deploy additional forces from other parts of the state.
Nearly 5,000 policemen are likely to be brought from Telangana and Andhra regions for deployment in sensitive areas, sources said.
Rapid Action Force would be deployed in sensitive parts of the Old City while a vigil is being kept on communal elements.
Apart from binding over communal elements, police have been reportedly ‘counselling’ those who took part in last year’s rally on Hanuman Jayanthi day, which led to violence.
“Youngsters are being picked up and asked not to take part in rallies or processions this year. Police are threatening to register cases against them. This is particularly happening in police limits of Mangalhat and Tappachabutra,’’ Bajrang Dal city president Nomula Vinod alleged. Several youth from Mangalhat, Karwan and nearby areas were suspected to have been involved in violence last year.
Meanwhile, police have decided not to permit any processions or rallies on routes other than the traditional ones. This year Bajrang Dal is planning to take out a rally from Doodhbowli to Gowliguda Ram mandir on Sriram Navami (April 12) in which Sadhvi Niranjana Jyothi and Lahari Swamy would take part. On Hanuman Jayanthi (April 18), the organisation is planning to take out a rally on the same route. Bajrang Dal had reportedly sought police permission for both rallies but was not granted, sources said.
Meanwhile, authorities have started to remove flags erected for Milad-un-Nabi, which was celebrated last month, ahead of Sriram Navami.
“Though we had decided not to permit erection of religious flags after violence last year, we allowed on account of prevailing peaceful conditions. We won’t object to flags for this festival also,’’ police said.
–Agencies