Gurgaon: More than 2,000 police personnel, commandos and 15 senior officers were deployed across the 80-km Braj Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra route in Nuh on Monday. Schools and meat shops remained closed and police in Gurgaon and Faridabad placed Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi under house arrest.The authorities deployed 13 deputy superintendents of police, 19 duty magistrates and eight reserve magistrates to ensure peaceful conduct of the pilgrimage. Commandos escorted devotees as they moved from one temple to another.The yatra began from the Nalhar (Naleshwar) temple in Nuh before proceeding to the Jhirkeshwar temple in Ferozepur Jhirka, where devotees performed jal abhishek. The procession later moved towards the Shringeshwar Temple in the Singar area, with devotees chanting religious slogans and singing devotional songs throughout the journey.On Sunday, South Range inspector general of police OP Narwal had inspected the security arrangements. “He had flagged off a police march in the district to reassure residents and deter any attempts to disrupt the event,” a senior officer said.Police placed cow vigilantes Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi under house arrest to prevent them from participating in the procession. They had been associated with the 2023 Nuh violence, and the authorities considered their presence at the yatra a potential law-and-order concern.Bajrangi was stopped by police at his residence in Sanjay Enclave, Faridabad, when he attempted to leave for the procession on Monday. “We served him a notice and made necessary security arrangements,” an officer said.Police also kept a close watch on social media handles to prevent the circulation of inflammatory or misleading content that could disturb communal harmony.SP Nuh, Arpit Jain, said 27 special checkpoints had been established across the district, with police deployed at all entry and exit points to check suspicious vehicles. He said that village sarpanches in the district submitted written assurances to cooperate with the administration in maintaining peace.The district administration also imposed temporary restrictions on the sale of petrol and diesel. Deputy commissioner and district magistrate Akhil Pilani issued prohibitory orders banning the sale of petrol and diesel in bottles, cans or other containers from 6am on Aug 1 until midnight on Aug 3 to prevent any possible misuse during the yatra.Police issued a comprehensive traffic advisory ahead of the procession, diverting heavy vehicles away from Nuh. Trucks travelling between Alwar, Sohna, Gurgaon, Tauru, Palwal, Hodal, Aligarh and Jaipur were advised to use alternative routes through the Mumbai Expressway, Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway and Rewasan. Heavy vehicles heading towards Nuh were instructed to enter the district only after conclusion of the yatra.The need for such extensive security arrangements arose from the violence that broke out during the yatra in July 2023. It was one of Haryana’s worst communal flare-ups in recent years. The clashes claimed multiple lives, including home guards, injured dozens and led to widespread arson and destruction of property. More than 60 FIRs were registered and over 350 people were arrested. Several cases, including those invoking the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), are still pending before courts.Last year, an attempt by miscreants to stoke unrest ahead of an annual religious yatra in Haryana’s Nuh had been thwarted by vigilant locals and swift police action after a mazaar was vandalised in Tauru.
