'Rumour mongers will be dealt with strongly'

Delhi Police personnel are keeping a close watch on north Delhi’s Bawana where communal tension has been high of late.

Provocative posters and speeches at a large gathering (mahapanchayat) of local leaders on Sunday raised concerns ahead of the Muharram procession on Tuesday.

Delhi Police Commissioner said on Monday that security measures have been put in place to deal with any kind of untoward activity.

“Aman committees were formed by police to bring both sides to the table. It succeeded and the route has been changed,” he said. The local leaders had objected to the traditional routes adopted for taking out the Muharram procession.

Warning rumour mongers, he said, “I would request everyone to avoid rumour-mongering or it will be dealt with strongly.”

Members of a special intelligence team have been meeting people from the Hindu and Muslim communities to prevent spread of rumours and to neutralise such elements.

Some 800 policemen, including commando teams, have been deployed in Bawana. Police said a close watch is being kept in other sensitive areas too.

Attended by hundreds of people from eight to 10 villages in Bawana, the mahapanchayat had them demanding that the procession, also called Taziya, be carried out only through areas dominated by Muslims.

The area had remained tense throughout last week after provocative posters were pasted in the localities urging people to gather on Sunday to oppose the Muharram procession.