Schools shut, internet services suspended in Haryana's Nuh; security tightened for Braj Mandal Yatra: All you need to know

NEW DELHI: Authorities on Monday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in Haryana's Nuh district to prevent any communal tension ahead of the annual Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra.

The preventive measures come in the backdrop of the 2023 procession, which led to deadly communal clashes in the district, claiming six lives.

All you need to know

• According to police, around 2,500 personnel will be deployed during the Yatra. Fourteen deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) will be on duty, and 28 checkpoints have been set up at various locations along the route. Videography and strict checking will be carried out at these checkpoints to prevent the entry of miscreants.
• Additional measures include the deployment of mounted police, sniffer dogs, bomb disposal squads, four drones, 21 video cameras, and commando units, they added.
• All government and private schools in the district will remain closed.
• District Magistrate Vishram Kumar Meena issued orders prohibiting the carrying of all weapons, including licensed arms, firearms, swords, sticks, tridents, rods, knives, and chains. Only the kirpan, worn as a religious symbol by members of the Sikh community, has been exempted.
• The use of DJs, loudspeakers, or any sound-amplifying devices with provocative content that could hurt the sentiments of any community will be strictly prohibited.
• Meat shops along the Kanwar route are to remain closed till July 24.
• According to police, cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi has been denied permission to attend the Yatra, and his social media accounts have been suspended.
• The sale of petrol or diesel in open containers such as bottles will be prohibited at fuel stations in Nuh district from 6 am to 12 noon on Monday.

According to the Haryana government’s order, the move is aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation and rumours through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and X, and to curb any mobilisation of agitators or demonstrators who could indulge in arson, vandalism, or other violent activities, leading to loss of life and property.

"No attention should be paid to any kind of rumours. Strict action should be taken against those spreading misinformation," Meena said, adding that a special team will monitor social media to curb any attempts to vitiate the atmosphere.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar reviewed the security arrangements and directed officials from the civil and police administration to coordinate closely.