Gujarat will celebrate Lord Jagannath, one of the most important festivals in the country, on July 1, by taking out huge Rath Yatras and processions. As such, the state police and security authorities are already planning arrangements so that all festivities are carried out smoothly and there are no disruptions of any kind. According to sources, on that day, the state will see a total of 152 Rath Yatras and nearly 60 Shobha Yatras. This knowledge has put police from different districts on alert.
So far it is believed that the police have identified 25 sensitive areas including cities like Ahmedabad, Anand, Bhavnagar, Himmatnagar, Junagadh, Kheda, Mehsana, Modasa, and Viramgam. These districts will have police forces stationed on the roads, who will be on alert for any indication of disruptive activities.
This year the scenario is extra sensitive what with the Assembly elections fast approaching and political parties sprawling around, campaigning in different districts. That said, police are also likely to take strong precautions in Ahmedabad as the festival of Eid falls just about ten days after the Jagannath yatra.
Meanwhile, police are also going the extra mile and have started organizing events like cricket matches, blood donation camps, and so on between community leaders in order to ensure the maintenance of law and order. These events are being seen in Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Vadodara, Himmatnagar, and Khambhat. Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) might also be called in to tighten security.
