The Sankeertana Yatra organised by Hindu Jagarana Vedike as part of the Hanuma Jayanti celebrations was held amid tight security in Srirangapatna on Sunday.
Superintendent of Mandya district police N. Yathish told The Hindu that the programme concluded smoothly without any untoward incident.
Earlier in the day, devotees from different parts of the Mandya district gathered at the Anjaneya Swamy Temple in front of Nimishamba Temple, where RSS leader Kalladaka Prabhakar Bhat and other leaders addressed them
Later, the devotees, attired in saffron robes, took out a Shobha Yatra towards Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in the town, singing bhajans and raising slogans.
Heavy police security was in place around Jamia Masjid, which fell along the route of the march.
Tight security
Inspector General of Police, Southern Range, Boralingaiah told The Hindu that security had been heightened this year by deploying additional police personnel and making use of gadgets like CCTV cameras and handycams.
The police had heavily fortified the surrounding of Jamia Masjid by posting a large number of police personnel and barricading the entrance of the road leading to the Mosque.
In view of last year’s incident when a few persons tried to break through the security cordon to barge into the Mosque, the police had taken additional security measures.
“Though the number of devotees were less this year, we have increased the police presence. Against the six platoons deployed last year, we have about 10 platoons. Additional police force has been deployed from adjoining districts like Hassan. About six drones, besides the installed CCTV cameras and handycams were also used”, said a senior police official.
The Mandya district administration had also ordered closure of wine shops in Srirangapatna town and nearby Ganjam for 24 hours from 6 am of December 24.
The district administration had also held a peace meeting in the run-up to the Hanuma Jayanti celebrations in Srirangapatna town, which is considered to be communally sensitive.
The Samana Manaskara Vedike, a progressive organization, had submitted a memorandum to the district administration expressing concern over a possible threat to peace and communal harmony by referring to the handbills issued by the organisers that the programme was aimed at “reconstruction of Anjaneyaswamy Temple occupied by Tipu Sultan”.
Though a section of the devotees raised slogans about reconstruction of the temple, the Sankeertana Yatra passed off smoothly, the police said.
