Ahead of the VHP rally, Haryana Government imposes sec 144 and a number of prohibitory orders over Nuh and its adjoining areas

Permission for VHP's "sobha yatra" on August 28 in Nuh was denied by the Haryana government, stating law and order concerns. However the Hindu outfits have stated that they will go ahead with their rally as planned, despite the authorities denying permission for the same. Security has been beefed up in Nuh and its adjoining areas, 1900 Haryana Police personnels and 24 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed at inter-state and inter-district borders. 

As a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward clashes, the state administration denied the permission for the yatra. A slew of prohibitory measures have been clamped down upon the state, to restrict the movement of the people. "Section 144 has been imposed in the district. All educational institutes, including schools and colleges and banks in the district will remain closed", said Ashwani Kumar, Nuh Sub-Divisional Magistrate. 

The borders of the state are being manned by the forces to prevent the entry of any outsiders, banks and educational institutions have been shut down, mobile and Internet services has been banned from August 26, and owing to the imposition of Section 144 across the state, an assembly of four or more persons has been banned across the state. The police are checking all vehicles passing through the Sohna toll in Gurugram, to prevent a chaotic situation. So far, a total of 393 people have been arrested and 118 people detained in tandem with the Nuh violence. 

On August 13, the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat called for the resumption of the Yatra on August 28, after it was hindered by outbreaks of violence on July 31. The first spate of violence that hit Nuh after VHP's rally was stopped by a group of young men. The violence that ensued, claimed 6 lives, that included two home guards and an imam of a mosque in Gurgaon. Several were injured, shop after shop was vandalized, cars torched, and stones pelted at the police. 

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday advised the people to refrain from participating in a rally that has been denied permission by the authorities. "Looking at the kind of incident that happened there (Nuh) at the beginning of the month, it is the government's duty to ensure that law and order in the area is maintained. Our police and administration have taken this decision that instead of carrying out a yatra, people should go to nearby temples and offer prayers. Permission for yatra is denied but people can go and offer prayers in nearby temples as it is Sawan month", said the CM. 

He further stated that the Haryana Government believes in respecting religious beliefs of its citizens, hence, the permission for 'jalabhishek' at the local temples has been granted, as August 28th also marks the end of the sacred Hindu Sawan month. "Everyone can perform jalabhishek in their respective local temples as it is Sawan. Due to the incidents that took place in Nuh in the past, permission has not been given to travel to maintain law and order", he added, advising the people to go and offer prayers.