The state of Uttar Pradesh has been put on high alert view of Bharat Bandh call on Tuesday (December 8). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to make adequate arrangements to ensure that the common people are not put to any inconvenience on account of Bharat Bandh.
He also asked police officials to avoid any confrontation with farmers. Special vigil is being maintained in all districts bordering Delhi and additional forces have been deployed there.
In Lucknow, the district magistrate, Abhishek Prakash, has extended the prohibitory orders under Section 144 to the rural areas of the state capital and joint commissioner of police Naveen Arora said that sector scheme had been enforced in the wake of the bandh call.
The government has directed all officers in the rank of ADG and IG to ensure patrolling in their respective areas and also maintain a vigil on highways connecting the border areas. The state home department has asked UP DGP H C Awasthi to direct all district police chiefs to maintain a dialogue with local farmer organisations.
Extensive checking is going on since last night at toll plaza points and all entry and exit points in district bordering Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
The CM has asked the police to ensure that traders are not forced to down their shutters during the four-hour long Bandh which will begin from 11 am and end at 3 pm.
District officials have also assured auto, tempo, taxi associations that they can fearlessly continue operating during the bandh period. ADG (law and order) Prashant Kumar said that 140 companies of PAC have been deployed in sensitive districts while six companies of para military forces have been deployed in the border areas.
FIR lodged against Akhilesh, 28 others
The Yogi Adityanath government has lodged a FIR against former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav. The Lucknow police has registered a case, late on Monday night, against Akhilesh Yadav and 28 other party leaders under the Epidemic Act.
Akhilesh Yadav had led a demonstration in Lucknow on Monday after the police stopped him from proceeding towards Kannauj where he was scheduled to lead a Kisan Yatra.
Akhilesh was detained for about five hours at the Eco Garden. Samajwadi workers clashed with the police in various district as soon as the news of Akhilesh’s detention spread.