Bangalore set for peaceful Eid amid tight security

Bangalore : Bangalore is set to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr festival in peace Monday marking the end of the month-long Ramadan fast by Muslims amid tight security, as the city gets over the hysteria that caused about 30,000 northeast people to flee during the past three-four days.

“The situation in Bangalore is under control with no untoward incident during the last two days. Security has been tightened across the city to ensure a peaceful Eid celebration,” Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said Sunday in a message greeting Muslims on the festival.

With the exodus of northeast people to Guhawati halting Sunday, the state administration and the railways have heaved a sigh though police continued to be vigilant with enhanced security measures, including deployment of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Karnataka State Reserved Police (KSRP) and City Armed Police (CAR).

“About 17,000 personnel drawn from RAF, CRPF, KSRP and CAR have been deployed across the city to ensure peace and maintain law and order. Besides guarding vital installations and VIP areas, patrolling sensitive areas, including localities where minorities and northeast people reside has been intensified,” city Police Commissioner Jyotiprakash Mirji told reporters here.

In light of union Home Secretary R.K. Singh revealing Saturday that rumours in the form of SMS, MMS and videos of retaliatory attacks on northeast people in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra originated from Pakistan, Shettar appealed to all the northeast people who fled the city since Aug 15 to return to Bangalore and the state as there was no cause to stay away or threat to their safety.

“Thousands of northeast people who rushed to Assam and other northeast states fearing attack should return soon and get back to studies or work as the city is peaceful and full protection will be given to them as others,” Shettar said.

Though thousands of Muslims in the coastal areas of the state celebrated Eid Sunday as the moon was seen late Saturday, the fest will be celebrated in Bangalore and other parts of the state Monday.

In a related development, Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashoka, who holds the home portfolio, reviewed the law and order situation and deployment of additional forces in Bangalore and other cities across the state with top police and government officials.

“As evident during the past three-four days, peace prevails in Bangalore and our entire police force is on 24×7 duty across the city to provide protection to the nine-million denizens, especially those from northeast who felt threatened by mischievous elements and hate propaganda by outside forces,” he told reporters.

Ashoka also met two Nagaland ministers and senior state police officials, who flew in from Kohima earlier in the day to meet their people living in the city and assure them of their safety and security.

“I have discussed the unfortunate exodus of their people from the city and briefed them on the measures we have taken since Aug 15 to provide fool-proof security to the northeast people in Bangalore and other parts of the state,” he said.

Mirji also appealed to traders, shopkeepers, vendors, hoteliers and eateries to keep their business establishments open Monday for ensuring normalcy and facilitate people to buy their requirements.