Hyderabad, September 19: The city police have made elaborate security arrangements ahead of immersion of Ganesh idols and verdict on Ayodhya title suit scheduled next week.
“Whatever law and order arrangements we are making for the Ganesh idol immersion ceremony will continue till September 24 (the day verdict on Ayodhya title suit is expected). Prohibitory orders issued under Section 144 CrPc shall remain in force till the evening of September 28,” Hyderabad Police Commissioner A K Khan told reporters today.
The culmination of 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival will be held on September 22 wherein over 13,000 idols of Lord Ganesha will be immersed in Hussainsagar and tanks surrounding the city following mammoth processions.
“We have held talks with political parties, religious heads and community leaders on the measures required to maintain peace and all these people have assured us that whichever way the judgement goes they (both) would maintain peace and calm,” the police commissioner said.
Over 25,000 police personnel drawn from all over the state besides personnel of RAF are also being deployed for the Ganesh immersion event. The Army has also been asked to be on the standby, Khan said adding, “We have been keeping surveillance on communal offenders and stern action is being taken against them for any attempts to disturb the communal harmony.”
Reacting to query in the wake of firing incident near Jama Masjid at Delhi today, he said, “We are going to review the (security) situation here. There is threat to some cities including Hyderabad also.”
As many as 272 hyper sensitive and 543 sensitive places have been identified and 475 mobile parties are moving in these areas to ensure smooth conduct of the Ganesh festival, he said.
Police are also carrying out vehicle checks and frisking at all entry points to the city and public places like railway stations, bus stations, shopping malls, cinema halls, hotels, restaurants and keeping a constant watch on strangers movement for which it is also utilising services of 80 Special Police officers (ex-Army men) in their anti-sabotage checks.
The City Security Wing of city police deployed 30 Bomb Disposal Teams and two Access Control Teams each at Khairatabad Ganesh Pandal and Ganesh Pandal in Secunderabad and combing different parts of the city, the police officer said, adding the anti-sabotage teams will be using the services of 30 sniffer dogs.
Over 12 lakh people are expected to participate in the final Ganesh immersion procession and the event is being covered by more than 600 video cameras, Khan said.
–Agencies