Friday prayers pass off peacefully amid tight security across UP

LUCKNOW: Friday prayers passed off peacefully in Uttar Pradesh amid elaborate security arrangements made by the government across the state. Hundreds of Muslims offered namaz at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi amid tight security arrangements.
"With the help of religious leaders, prayers were held in a peaceful manner in the state. Drones were used in sensitive districts. To ensure security, 249 companies of PAC, three companies of SDRF, and five companies of Central Armed Police Force were pressed into service," said Special DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar.
He added that security personnel would remain deployed in hyper-sensitive districts as a preventive measure.
According to police sources, Prayagraj, Ambedkarnagar, Saharanpur and Moradabad were sensitive but remained peaceful. The largest congregation was witnessed at Jama Masjid in Chowk area of Prayagraj. Similarly, in Gyanvapi mosques of Varanasi, hundreds offered prayers.
Similar was the scene at Shahi Jama Masjid in Aligarh. In Ambedkarnagar, prayers were offered peacefully amid heavy police deployment and surveillance from drone cameras.
Flag marches had been held in Saharanpur and Deoband for the past couple of days as a precautionary measure. While high vigil was being maintained in districts of Hathras, Agra and Firozabad by U PRVs.