Ram temple inauguration: Uttar Pradesh peaceful during Pran Pratishtha rituals

The Pran Pratishtha rituals in Ayodhya took place amid peaceful conditions across Uttar Pradesh, said senior police officials on Monday. While Ayodhya was under a heavy police cover, security in other sensitive districts had also been upped, they added.

“An alert was sounded across the state for Monday and elaborate security arrangements were made that will continue to remain in place till Republic Day (January 26). No law-and-order issue was reported, and the day passed amid religious recitations and discourses being organised at many places in the state,” said UP Police director general (DG) (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar.

He maintained that the state police machinery was quite confident from early on that the mega event would be conducted successfully. “It was due to the hard work put in by officials in the field in Ayodhya and other districts, the meticulous planning at state police headquarters and clear-cut directives from the state government authorities,” Prashant Kumar noted.

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“We gained some new experiences while planning for the event and they can be put to use during big events such as Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.”

Requesting anonymity, another police official said the centralised control room set up at the police headquarters in Lucknow was also abuzz with activity even as multiple companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary and paramilitary forces along with 1.25 lakh civil police personnel remained deployed to maintain peace in the state.

He said extra force was deployed in sensitive districts such as Saharanpur, Moradabad, Meerut, Firozabad, Sambhal, Shamli, Kanpur, Lucknow, Hathras, Aligarh, Bareilly, Rampur, Budaun, Lakhimpur Kheri, Agra, Mau, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Bahraich and Gonda. He said a contingent of paramilitary and police forces conducted foot-patrolling of marketplaces and crowded areas.