Police conduct flag march in violence-hit Saharanpur villages

NEW DELHI: Police conducted a flag march in the Shabbirpur, Badgaon, Chandrapura and Maheshpur villages of violence-hit Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, though no untoward incident has been reported, an official said.

Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar told IANS the situation was under control but as a precautionary matter, the deployment of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) platoons will remain in place till further orders.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has made it clear that no politician will be allowed to visit the strife-torn countryside, especially after violence broke out soon after the visit of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati.

Congress leader P.L. Punia and former Union Minister Kumari Shailja have been denied permission to visit the villages.

Sources said intelligence inputs suggest that the situation in the seven villages around Shabbirpur remains tense and "something to be watchful and worried about".

Peace committees in many villages have been sensitised and have been asked to ensure that communal harmony is maintained. Sub Divisional Magistrate Rampur Maniharan has also been transferred for dereliction of duty.