In light of the violence in Khargone city and Barwani district on Ram Navami, the Madhya Pradesh government has issued an alert to the authorities in all districts for the upcoming festivals, State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Wednesday.
Apart from Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary and Ramzan, festivals such as Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday and Hanuman Jayanti will be observed in the next few days.
“Several festivals are to be observed in the coming days. In view of this, all districts of Madhya Pradesh are on alert. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has instructed all ministers in-charge of districts to keep a watch on the situation in their respective areas as a precautionary measure,” Mishra, who is State government spokesman, told reporters.
A day after the violence in Khargone, the State police headquarters had issued orders cancelling the leaves of all police personnel in the State in view of the upcoming festivals. The superintendents of police (SPs) and inspector generals (IGs) of different districts and zones are authorised to sanction the leave.
Curfew imposed
In this order, the senior officials were told not to leave their respective headquarters and take leave in unavoidable circumstances only after the approval of the director general of police (DGP).
Curfew was imposed in the entire Khargone city on Sunday after stone-pelting during the Ram Navami procession triggered arson and torching of vehicles. On the same day, the stones were pelted at Ram Navami procession in Sendhwa town in Barwani district.