UP put under high alert for Independence Day, other festivals

Lucknow, Aug 14 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh police has sounded 'high alert' in the state over the possibility of any untoward incidents during Independence Day celebrations and the coming festivals of Rakshabandhan, Janamasthmi and Shab-e-barat.

State police has directed all the district police to keep a close vigil at sensitive places, while special security would be provided at all the religious spots.

Policemen in civvies have been deployed at all the crowded places like railway stations, bus stations, markets, malls and airports.

Special directives have also been sent to the police officials in Ayodhya, Mathura, Varanasi, Agra, Allahabad, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Gorakhpur.

State Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Brij Lal said here today that a joint team have been set-up of the state intelligence wing, Special Task Force (STF) and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) to get first hand inputs about the activities of the anti-national group.

He said random checking was being conducted at all the railway stations and hotels in the entire state, while special security arrangements have been put in order at all the places where Indpendence Day official functions would be organised.

''Similarly, security measures have been made at all the religious important places due to the coming festivals,'' he added.

Meanwhile, a report from Siddharthnagar quoting official sources said that an alert has been sounded in the Indo-Nepal border areas and strict frisking of the travellers crossing the international border underway.

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