Gujarat police on high alert

Following unabated violence in Panchkula and other parts of Haryana and Delhi, the Gujarat Police have been placed on high alert in the state.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has alerted the police to be on watch for breakout of violence and rioting, as the state has considerable number of followers of the Dera Sacha chief, according to Piyush Patel, JCP, Sector 1.

Though city police commissioner AK Singh played down the alert as a routine one during festivals (Friday being Ganesh Chaturthi), JCP Patel claimed police have been directed to closely watch the followers of Ram Rahim as well as members of the Patidar community, in view of the second anniversary of the quota agitation.

Earlier, high alert was issued in New Delhi after supporters of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim stormed Anand Vihar railway station and burnt two coaches of Rewa Express, forcing cancellation of several trains.

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, CM Arvind Kejriwal and Commissioner of Police Amulya Patnaik appealed to people not to panic. Section 144 of the CrPC was imposed across the city. Prohibitory orders were also imposed in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat.