UP govt sounds high alert

A day after members of a minority community went on the rampage here to protest against communal clashes in Assam, the government tightened security and urged the people to ignore misguiding SMSes.

The government sounded a high alert after law and order was disrupted on Friday, as an irate mob damaged vehicles and shops and also manhandled mediapersons. It was found that inflammatory SMSes about the recent ethnic clashes in Assam were being widely circulated in the sensitive areas of the states.

The officials were especially concerned that the protests might snowball into massive violence ahead of Eid. “Even a small incident may cause a flare up,” said a senior police official here.

Curfew was imposed in some parts of Allahabad on Friday. A similar clampdown was in force at Bareilly a few days back, following communal clashes. However, the curfew was withdrawn in some parts of Allahabad on Saturday.

Intelligence officials revealed that the SMSes on Assam violence were in circulation in some Muslim belts of Agra town. Police have spoken to the community leaders and subsequently appealed the community members to maintain calm.

Despite police chief Ambarish Chandra Sharma denying an exodus of the people of the North-Easte, akin to some southern states, some members of the North-East community reportedly left Uttar Pradesh in the last few days. 

Meanwhile, police have registered cases in connection with Friday’s violence.