Delhi devotees take out Ram Navmi procession sans police permission

A large group of people on Thursday took out a march in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri on the occasion of Ram Navami in contravention of rules following which riot control force was deployed to prevent any untoward incident, police said. Ram Navami is being celebrated on March 30.

Earlier in the day, Rapid Action Force, CRPF and Delhi Police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain law and order and to avoid any untoward incidents in anticipation of the procession.

The Delhi Police had denied permission to the group for holding the 'Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra' as part of the Ramnavami Mahotsav in the area where violence broke out last year during a Hanuman Jayanti procession. Despite denying permission, the group gathered at Jahangirpuri and performed a puja at a park, a senior police officer said.

''We have deployed the local police, riot control force along with four companies of outside forces to ensure law and order is maintained and no untoward incident takes place. The situation is under control and people are also cooperating,'' he said.

A police officer said permission for praying at a park during Ramzan was also denied.

On April 16, 2021, clashes broke out between two communities during the Hanuman Jayanti procession at Jahangirpuri in which eight police personnel and a local resident were injured.