Delhi Police will keep an eye through drones to maintain law and order during the Tajiya procession to be taken out on Friday on the occasion of Muharram. Police will use technology to identify suspicious elements. Officials gave this information on Wednesday (June 24). He told that more than two thousand police personnel will be deployed during the procession in North East Delhi and North Delhi.
On ‘Ashura’, the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, processions are taken out in different parts of the country in the memory of Imam Hussain. Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad and his close companions were martyred on this date in Karbala, Iraq in 680 AD. This year ‘Ashura’ is on Friday.
Extensive security arrangements for Tajiya procession
A Delhi Police official said that Tajiya processions are taken out in many areas in the national capital, but big processions are taken out mainly in North East Delhi and Old Delhi. In view of this, the police have made extensive security arrangements. The police have also held meetings with prominent people of the area and members of the peace committee so that no disruption is created during the procession.
1100 police personnel will be deployed for ‘Ashura’ procession
North East Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rahul Alwal said that there is a plan to deploy 1100 local police personnel for the ‘Ashura’ procession in the area and has demanded 20 companies of security forces from the police headquarters. He said that apart from this, 14 drones will be used to keep an eye on the crowd and facial recognition technology will also be used to keep an eye on criminal elements.
Adequate number of drones and photographers
Meanwhile, North Delhi DCP Raja Banthia told the media that adequate number of drones and photographers and videographers will be deployed in sensitive and crowded areas. He also said that facial recognition technology will also be used in the district. He said that five Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), 37 inspectors and 924 other police personnel will be deployed in North Delhi. According to Banthia, along with this, two companies from other units of Delhi Police and one company of security personnel from outside the force will also be deployed.
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Meetings held with members of the peace committee
He said that meetings have been held with the Aman Committee members at the police station and district levels and they have been requested to ensure that the processions are peaceful. Banthia said that adequate number of reserve personnel will be deployed in all the police stations. According to DCP Alwal, barricading will be done in sensitive areas and Quick Response Team (QTR) and additional forces equipped with riot control equipment will be deployed. Volunteers will be deployed along with them.
21 meetings from Thanedar to DCP level
DCP Alwal said that 21 meetings have been held from the police station level to the DCP level with peace committees, brotherhood committees, cable operators and eminent people of the area to carry out the procession smoothly. Parvez Noor, chief patron of ‘Anjuman Tajiyadaran’, the organization that organizes the Tajiya procession, told the media that meetings have been held with the police in Central Delhi and “our volunteers accompany every Tajiya.”
The procession will be taken out after Friday prayers at 3 pm – Parvez Noor
He said that there are 10 volunteers with one Tajiya and there are approximately 50-60 Tajiyas. He said that this time ‘Ashura’ is falling on Friday, due to which the procession will be taken out after Friday prayers at 3 pm. Noor told about the procession that on one side, the procession starting from Jama Masjid will come to Ajmeri Gate and on the other side, the procession starting from Beri Wale Bagh near Pul Bangash will come to Paharganj via Qutub Road and from there both the processions will gather and go to the local Karbala located at Jor Bagh.
Another police officer said that adequate number of police forces will be deployed to maintain law and order during the procession and special attention will be paid to sensitive areas. Apart from this, in East Delhi, Shahdara and North West Delhi, the police have also held meetings with the members of the Aman Committee regarding the Tajiya procession.