21 UP districts declared sensitive for Holi
Published: 26th March 2013 09:43 AM | Last Updated: 26th March 2013 09:43 AM | A+A A-
A day ahead of Holi, Uttar
Pradesh government Tuesday declared 21 districts, including Meerut,
Aligarh and Faizabad as sensitive and asked the authorities to be extra
vigilant across the state, an official said.
The government has
asked the district magistrates and district police chiefs to be "extra
vigilant" as the state has a history disturbances on the day of the
festival. It warned of strict action against errant officials.
Meerut,
Moradabad, Bareilly, Aligarh, Agra, Faizabad, Lucknow, Kanpur,
Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Azamgarh, Firozabad and Mau among others
have been provided with additional security forces, Inspector General
of Police (Law and Order) R.K. Vishwakarma told IANS.
"In all 39
companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC), 12 companies of
rapid action force (RAF), 20 additional superintendent of police (ASPs),
2,000 plus police recruits and constables have been pressed into
service for Holi," he said.
Twenty-one districts of the state
has been declared as sensitive. With more than 27 communal riots
reported in the last one year, the Samajwadi Party government of Chief
Minister Akhilesh Yadav is taking no chances.
"The chief minister
has made it clear that no disturbance on the festival would be
tolerated and that strict and punitive action would be taken against
errant officials," a close associate of the chief minister told IANS.
Officials
have been asked to patrol areas of their districts while Holi is being
played and ensure that "even a small incident is attended to and sorted
out".