Muslims close shops for Sri Ram Sene’s Ramnavami procession at Aland in Kalaburagi district

Some down shutters voluntarily, but others were asked by police to do so

The Ram Navami procession held by Sri Ram Sene at Aland in Kalaburagi district on Sunday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Shops and business establishments owned and operated by Muslims in Aland town, Kalaburagi district, remained closed on Sunday for facilitating the procession organised by the Sri Ram Sene to celebrate Ram Navami.

Some of the traders said that they had closed their units voluntarily just to avoid any damage to them considering the recent communal disturbance in the town, when the same organisation attempted to storm the Ladle Mashak Dargah on the pretext of doing purification puja for the Raghava Chaitanya Shivalinga allegedly present.

But others said that they were asked by the police to close their establishments, especially those on the route through which the procession was planned.

Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Isha Pant leading the force deployed at Aland. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

On March 1, many right-wing activists, including members of the ruling BJP and the Sri Ram Sene, gathered in the town defying the prohibitory orders clamped under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and attempted to enter the dargah.

but the police had stopped the mob and averted a major communal clash.

Subhash Guttedar, MLA for Aland, who flagged off the Ram Navami procession on Sunday at the main market in the town, told The Hindu that the procession was systematically planned for the first time in the town to mobilise the youth from villages.

“Keeping in mind the untoward incidents in the recent past, I am leading today’s procession to ensure a peaceful celebration of Ram Navami. Youth from the surrounding villages have come to participate in the event,” Mr. Guttedar said.

Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Isha Pant, who had camped in the town along with Additional Superintendent of Police Prasanna Desai, said that adequate police force was deployed in the town to ensure peaceful celebration.

“Around 1,000 police officials have been deployed. Contingents of the District Armed Reserve, the Karnataka State Reserve Police, the Civil Police from Bidar and Yadgir districts, apart from Kalaburagi district police, have been deployed in the town. Sixty CCTV cameras are installed and five drone cameras are deployed to keep a vigil on the procession. We are also monitoring the visuals on over 30 CCTV cameras that were already installed at various private establishments. Besides, 15 cameramen with handicams are capturing the visuals of processions,” Ms. Pant told The Hindu.

People were found dancing during the procession that started from the market and marched through the bus stand, Razvi Road, and Old Tahsildar Office and culminated at Ganesh Temple near the market. The procession went off without any untoward incident.