The Bhopal Police on Saturday canceled the permission granted for the Hanuman Jayanti procession in the old city of Bhopal citing security reasons. The Police said that the procession can pass through other parts of the city except for the old city area of Bhopal.
The decision came after a delegation of Muslim clerics led by Qazi Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadwi met DGP Sudhir Saxena and Home Minister Narottam Mishra. The clerics in the city raised concerns over the permission granted for the Hanuman Jayanti procession. They said that conducting procession in the Muslims-dominated localities would be fraught with danger.
Madhya Pradesh | Permission granted for procession from Khedapati Hanuman Temple which was supposed to pass from areas of the Old City in Bhopal during Hanuman Jayanti has been rescinded as a security measure. Procession can be taken out in other parts of the city: Bhopal Police
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 16, 2022
According to the reports, the vice-president of Jai Maa Bhavani Hindu Sangathan (JMBHS), Naveen Khare, had sought permission to initiate the Hanuman Jayanti procession from the Khedapati Hanuman Temple. As per the rituals, the procession was supposed to pass through the old city of Bhopal and other parts of the city. The Police on April 16 however denied permission for the procession in the old city of Bhopal, which is a Muslim-dominated area.
Last week, a Ram Navmi procession in the Khargone area of Madhya Pradesh was attacked by Islamists which led to communal riots disrupting peace in the state. Stones were pelted at the procession that began in the Talab Chowk area of Khargone on April 10.
Riots escalated after several vehicles and shops were set on fire. The cops struggled to pacify the situation and fired tear gas shells to disperse the violent crowd. During the violence, a total of 24 people were injured, including six police personnel. The Khargone administration later took strict action against the miscreants who had pelted stones at the Ram Navami procession. The illegally constructed buildings owned by the stone pelters were bulldozed by the administration.
The Bhopal Police is on high alert ahead of the Hanuman Jayanti procession and has arranged drones to monitor the situation in the city today. Also, a heavy police force has been deployed in the city to ensure peace and harmony during the procession.
The festival of Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman. The procession in Bhopal will begin at 4.30 pm today. The Bhopal Police have also assured that the festival will be celebrated with peace and enthusiasm and that special care will be taken to ensure that nobody’s religious sentiments are hurt.
