LUCKNOW: Prohibitory orders have been imposed in most of the Western UP districts, especially those bordering Haryana and Delhi, following the surge of violence in the wake of the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case on Friday.
Dozens of trains passing through Western UP have been cancelled as a precautionary measure.
Over half a dozen districts -- Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida – have been put under Section 144 (orders prohibiting assembly of four or more people at any point) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
A high alert has been sounded in Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Baghpat, Shamli and Bulandshahr subsequent to the violence in the neighbouring states and Delhi.
There were reports that rioters torched buses in the Loni area of Ghaziabad, but district magistrate Ministhy S Nair said the situation was under control. According to the officer, prohibitory orders would be in place for at least two weeks.
Sources said Ghaziabad administration has ordered all schools to remain closed on Saturday in view of the violence in Delhi. Top officials paid a visit to the Dera Sacha Sauda ashram in the district to ensure peace.
The borders with Punjab and Haryana have been sealed, and additional director-general (law & order) Anand Kuamr said forces have been deployed across Western UP with police patrolling several areas.
Train traffic in Western UP has been disrupted with over 56 trains heading to Punjab and Haryana cancelled. While 25 trains passing through Saharanpur were cancelled, 120 trains were stopped in Ambala to check Dera supporters from sneaking in to foment trouble in UP.