Elaborate security steps for Muharram

Kolkata: The police have made elaborate security arrangements for Friday’s mourning processions of Muharram in the city and elsewhere in the state, officials said Thursday.

Police officers would be posted at various crucial points, especially near mosques and alongside the city roads where mourning processions were scheduled, a Kolkata Police officer said.

“Around 6,000 police personnel will be deployed on the streets of the city to monitor tomorrow’s processions so that no untoward incident take place,” the IPS officer said.

Besides, Kolkata Police’s Quick Response Team (QRT), Flying Radio Squad (FRS) and mobile patrolling vans would also be posted on Friday in connection with the processions.

“Muharram processions is scheduled to begin at 9 am and there will be traffic restrictions at certain roads. Traffic will be diverted and there will be police posting along with the processions,” an officer of Kolkata traffic police said.

The city police was also keeping a close watch on social media to keep a check on the spread of any fake news or rumour in connection with Muharram processions, the officer said.

“That’s a challenge for us. We are keeping an eye on social networking sites so that no fake news, photographs or hate messages lead to communal commotion here. Anybody found forwarding such rumours will attract strict action,” he said.

A senior officer of state police said precautionary measures have been taken in connection with the Muharram procession.

“We have taken every possible measures to avoid any unwanted incident during tomorrow’s Muharram’s processions. We will not allow anyone to create disturbance in the state,” he said.

“We have alerted the administration and asked them to take necessary measures to ward off any problem during the processions anywhere in the state. We want absolute peace during Muharram processions,” state education minister Partha Chatterjee told reporters at the secretariat.

He said the administration has been asked to keep a note on the spread of hate messages to disrupt peace in the state.

“There is no dearth of people for spreading hate messages inciting others in communal passions,” said Mr Chatterjee, also the secretary general of the ruling Trinamul Congress.