By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: After the Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea for deferment of the Ayodhya verdict, Section 144, whereby four or more people can’t get together, has been invoked in Mumbai till 3rdOctober and Rapid Action Force and SRP are being deployed in sensitive areas of India’s commercial capital.
The decision for the security measures was taken at meeting of Mumbai Police Commissioner, Sanjeev Dayal along with other higher Police officers. Celebrations with dhol and other musical instruments are also prohibited.
Notices under CRPC 149 have been sent to 900 people in Mumbai, Rajkumar M. Vatkar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, operation, Mumbai disclosed on Tuesday. The notices have been sent to mainly criminals and those, including politicians, who were involved in 1992-93 riots. The list may involve politicians like Shiv Sena legislator Gajanan Kirtikar and five others, including a corporator, who were charged of instigating violence during the Mumbai riots in 1992-93 and later on acquitted by the court. It may also involve Amin Khandwani, six time corporator and ex-Chairman of Maharashtra Minority Commission, who was convicted in a 1992-93 riots case.
Besides the ban on bulk SMSes and MMSes by the central government, Mumbai Police banned provoking banners, posters and distribution of pamphlets.
Schools, Colleges and wedding programmes are given exception from section 144 that means the schools and colleges will remain open but fear is gearing up among parents. Sabiha Ansari, 34-year-old housewife said, “I am not going to send my kids to school. It’s better to be at home than anywhere else during these two days.”
The Maharashtra government has also cancelled leaves of security personnel. It’s also reported that phones may also be taped.
The September 24 editorial of Samna, Marathi newspaper of Shiv Sena, carried a heading that called upon Hindus to be prepared. The heading “Dhanush Tanun Thewa” means Get ready with the bow. The editorial also said, “We will not let the King of Aydohya lose.”
Udhav Thackeray, Executive President of Shiv Sena, however, had called the people last week to stay calm and be peaceful.
The Central Government has declared 6 states, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, and 32 cities as very sensitive.
In its latest advisory, the central government has asked states to strictly enforce security measures in sensitive locations. Local administrations have been asked to activate peace committees of Hindus and Muslims.
Large number of police and security personnel have been deployed in sensitive places across the country for the past 10 days, as the high court judgment was initially expected on Sep 24. However, a Supreme Court bench on Sep 23 deferred the verdict on a plea by a former bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi that the ‘chances of out of court settlement should be explored’.
Nearly 170,000 security personnel — 160,000 state policemen and 10,000 central forces men — have taken position in Uttar Pradesh.