JOIN USAyodhya verdict: Cops on red alert
Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari, in a meeting on Tuesday directed all the deputy commissioners to begin the crackdown.
The police will zero in on anti-social elements and rowdy-sheeters, particularly those who could create trouble. The police will leave no stone unturned to ensure and law and order Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Gopal B Hosur told Deccan Herald.
The police personnel will conduct meetings with religious leaders and those who can help in ensuring communal harmony. All sections of society will be taken into confidence. Platoons of City Armed Reserve, Karnataka State Reserve Police and a contingent of the Central Para Military Force will be pressed into service at sensitive and highly sensitive areas, Hosur said.
He, however, declined to divulge details on the number of platoons and officers to be put on duty. He also refused to reveal the number of arrests. The police have shortlisted sensitive areas and will deploy additional forces at City Market, Byatarayanapura, Shivajinagar, Frazer Town, Austin Town, DJ Halli, KG Halli, Tannery Road, Commercial Street, Bharathinagar and Pulikeshinagar.
Important public places including bus stand, railway station, airport, malls, theatres and high rise commercial establishments are also under the security cover, added the sources.
Sangolli statue unveiling deferred
The unveiling of Sangolli Rayanna’s statue near Majestic has been postponed indefinitely in view of the impending Ayodhya verdict. The statue of freedom fighter Rayanna is under wrap for several years. The government, following the demand by the Opposition in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike had scheduled the unveiling ceremony for September 24. The date however coincides pronouncement of the verdict by Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC will be clamped in the City on September 24 to pre-empt any law and order problem. Meanwhile, pro-Kannada activists have expressed resentment over Palike ‘ignoring’ them.
It is their grouse that Vatal Nagaraj, Chandrashekhar Patil, Narayana Gowda, Chidananda Murthy were not invited to the unveiling ceremony.
They said the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike helped to bring the statue safely to Bangalore from Kolhapur, where it was carved and Vatal Nagaraj had convinced the government to allot space near Majestic to install the statue.