LUCKNOW: Police in Lakhimpur Kheri town in Uttar Pradesh are keeping watch on social media accounts after a video showing religious figures in an objectionable manner stoked communal trouble just a day before the next round of polling in the state’s Assembly election.
An uneasy calm prevailed Friday in the streets of Lakhimpur Kheri with a curfew in force. Police disallowed shops from opening this morning, and senior officer said three more men have been picked up in connection with the circulation of the objectionable videos on Thursday. Two men had already been picked up on Thursday.
Tension gripped Lakhimpur Kheri on Thursday as people of one community, incensed by the videos, forced businesses to shut down and demanded that the culprits be handed over to them.
“We are keeping round-the-clock vigil. The situation is tense but under control. No untoward
incident has taken place since last night,” said Lakhimpur Kheri superintendent of police Manoj Jha.
An officer said the police contingents were doing route marches in the streets of the city and top officer of the police and civil administration toured city localities to reassure the people.
Schools and colleges have been ordered closed in the city till further orders.
As almost half of the policemen in the district have been posted on election duty elsewhere, authorities rushed reinforcements from adjoining districts to Lakhimpur Kheri late Thursday night to control the situation.
Making an appeal for peace and harmony, Lakhimpur Kheri district magistrate Akashdeep cautioned people against rumour mongers and issued warning to the trouble makers of dire consequences if they tried to incite violence. District judge Rajbeer Singh ordered to close Kheri Civil Court till curfew was in force.