Security heightened across Gurugram to avoid tension after Pahalgam attack

Security and patrolling across Gurugram has been heightened in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, officials said on Thursday. Senior officials said that meetings were held with prominent figures in the Muslim community in the city on Wednesday to chalk out plans to ensure that business establishments and religious places remain safe.

They said separate meetings have been held with right wing groups to ensure they do not take out any protest march. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other related outfits held a peaceful protest march on Thursday evening after police met their leaders and deployed adequate security but they were not allowed to move through a mosque in the Sadar Bazar area, officers said. All DCP and ACP rank officals held meetings with several groups in their areas even on Thursday to ensure order.

Police said that three mosques in Sihi, Dhankot and Kherki Mazra have been provided with armed security personnel to ensure they are not targeted by any miscreant or anti-social element. They said at least three to four police personnel were deployed at these mosques that do not have a significant Muslim population in their neighbourhood.

The mosque in Sector 57 already has security cover since its imam was murdered during the violence in August 2023 in Nuh. The district overall has 15 mosques including these four.

Gurugram’s Mufti Saleem Qasmi said that during Wednesday’s meeting with Gurugram police, he had urged them not to transform any establishment or area, either religious or commercial, into a fortress by deploying excessive force.

“The decision was taken to intensify patrolling and surveillance at such places. A hotel owner beside the mosque in Sadar bazar has been asked to keep one of its shutters towards the main road closed for the time being and allow entry of guests only from the gate on the internal lane,” he said.

“Similarly, after the meeting, meat shop owners have been asked to keep everything behind curtains instead of displaying items in the open like regular days,” he said.

A police officer, requesting anonymity, said he visited all meat shops and other establishments owned by Muslims in his area asking them to remain vigilant. “Meat shop owners have especially been asked to keep shutters down and not display anything for the next few days,” he said.

Mohammad Nazeer, a meat shop owner in the city, said though he is operating business normally, several other owners in internal and village areas have been asked by police to remain vigilant and slow down business for a couple of days as a precautionary measure.

Karan Goel, DCP West, said patrolling has been intensified in sensitive areas.

“All police stations have been asked to remain alert. We are in touch with intelligence agencies. Peace committee meetings have taken place. We are in touch with minority as well as rightwing outfit leaders so that any kind of possibility of tension build-up could be nipped in the bud,” he said.

Goel said there was a peaceful protest march by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other related outfits from the old civil hospital parking lot to the Harish Bakery Chowk on Thursday evening.

“Adequate security deployment was made for the protest march and the entire event was recorded on video,” he said.

Residents of several societies and condominiums across the city also held protest marches against the Pahalgam terror attack. Mapsko Casa Bella residents in Sector 82 also took out a protest march on Thursday evening with banners and posters against the terror attack.