New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) Muharram processions were taken out by the Shia community across north on Monday to mark the eighth day of mourning of the death of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, with Srinagar observing the day for a second consecutive year and Bihar’s Nawada seeing the waving of Palestinian flags, leading to the arrest of three.
The Shia community of Kashmir took out the procession on the traditional Guru Bazar-Dalgate route peacefully, officials said.
The Muharram procession was banned after the eruption of militancy in Kashmir as authorities were apprehensive that separatists might misuse the large gathering for ulterior motives.
The procession began from Guru Bazar locality in the city early Monday and passed through the designated route via Jehangir Chowk and Maulana Azad Road before culminating at Dalgate.
Thousands of mourners assembled at Guru Bazar at 5.30 am as the authorities had granted a limited time for the procession so that normal life does not get affected.
In Nawada, police arrested three people for allegedly waving a Palestinian flag during a procession on Sunday ahead of Muharram.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Pakribarawan, Mahesh Choudhary told PTI that a probe had been launched into the incident which took place in the district’s Dhamaul area.
“An investigation was immediately launched. On the basis of the investigation carried out by the local police, three persons were arrested on the charge of waving a Palestinian flag during the procession,” the SDPO said.
The procession was taken out without permission and the Palestinian flag was immediately seized, Choudhary added.
The Bihar Police had on July 13 also booked two people on the charge of waving the Palestinian flag at a procession in Darbhanga district.
In Uttar Pradesh, apprehending trouble, police put under house arrest Uday Pratap Singh, the father of Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) president and Kunda MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh.
Uday Pratap Singh, commonly called ‘Raja Saheb’, is the titular head of the formerly princely state of Bhadri. His son Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias ‘Raja Bhaiya’ is a 7-time MLA from Kunda assembly seat in Pratapgarh district.
Nearly a dozen supporters of Uday Pratap were also put under a house arrest, which will last for 68 hours till 9 pm on July 17, authorities said.
Kunda Circle Officer Ajeet Singh said Uday Pratap and his supporters every year try to organise a ‘bhandara’ (community feast) to mark the anniversary of a monkey that died 10 years ago on the Muharram procession (Tazia) route in Sheikhpur Aashiq area.
As a precautionary measure, notices have been put up at the main gate of Uday Pratap’s residence, ‘Bhadri Kothi’, on the orders of District Magistrate Sanjeev Ranjan and Sub-Divisional Magistrate Bharat Ram, the CO said.
Police have been deployed at the residences of all people under house arrest, he said.
In UP’s Amethi, police launched an investigation after provocative slogans were raised during a Muharram procession.
The incident took place on Sunday when a procession was taken out in the Musafirkhana area and was captured in a video which showed up on social media.
The matter is under investigation and strict action will be taken against those responsible, said Superintendent of Police Anup Kumar Singh.
Peethadheeshwar Mouni Maharaj of Babuganj Sagara Ashram condemned the sloganeering and urged UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take immediate action. PTI MIJ NAV PKD RG NAV VN VN
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