'No Force; Trust & Cooperation': UP ADGP Speaks on Arrest of Ayodhya Miscreants, Loudspeaker Removal

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh administration has apprehended seven men for trying to disrupt the peace in Ayodhya by targeting mosques. Objectionable material including meat and posters were thrown at a local masjid.

Acting swiftly, the police caught seven of the 11 accused and also established the motive behind the act. The search is on for four others.

Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, UP additional director general (ADG) of police, law and order, Prashant Kumar said that the crackdown was possible due to regular inputs that the department gets on anti-social elements wanting to create mischief.

“When this incident happened, our special teams gathered all evidences and within 24 hours we captured the culprits. We found that these men wanted to take revenge for what happened in Delhi. They wanted to disrupt the upcoming Muslim festival," he said.

Yogi Adityanath has been taking regular stock of the situation in the state, especially since violence during Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in several parts of the country this month. He has instructed that no new precedents should be set through processions in any area during Ramzan and Hindu festivals.

The state, meanwhile, has been applauded for cracking down on illegal loudspeakers at places of worship even as other states dither. And all action has happened without a single untoward incident.

“We have removed 37,000 loudspeakers and the volume has been reduced for 55,000 more. All this has been done with cooperation. We trust that everyone is with the government," said Prashant Kumar.

In a big state like UP, everything can’t be done with force, said the ADGP. “The most important thing is we don’t discriminate on any religious or community lines. When action is equal on all sides, people have trust in the government and therefore we have cooperation."

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