To ensure peaceful processions for tazia immersion across the city,Vadodara police have arranged for strong bandobast along the route of the procession in Vadodara. In all,2,500 policemen,1,000 home guards,six battalions of State Reserve Police (SRP) and a Rapid Action Force (RAF) battalion will be deployed. Processions will continue throughout the day on Friday. Incidentally,the city wil also see people of the majority community taking out the Tulsi Vivah procession on the same day. The procession will pass through Panigate,Wadi,Raopura and other sensitive areas. The police are trying to ensure that processions of the two communities do not cross each others path,apprehending that such a situation could lead to tension or even trouble in the area. Police said that as many as 185 tazia committees have registered their procession with the police,of which 142 will be immersed at Sarasia lake. The police have brought in at least one DSP and five ACP for the purpose,which will be in addition to four DSPs,8 ACPs,and 35 inspectors from the city,who will keep an eye on security measures to avert untoward incidents,resulting in communal clashes. The roads along the routes for the procession are being renovated and streetlights are being properly installed. The Sarasia lake is also being cleaned for the purpose. We will increase police presence across all routes and will use high rise buildings to view the processions. Twenty new CCTV cameras will be used in addition to the existing 29, police commissioner Satish Sharma said. He said the police have relaxed rules on using loud speakers in the tazia processions,but have asked community leaders to impress on the managers of the processions to use soft,traditional music.
