Hyderabad: Around 1,500 policemen will be deployed for the Sri Ramnavami Shobha Yatra to be taken out from Sitarambagh temple at Asifnagar to Hanuman Vyamshala, Sultan Bazaar on Friday, March 27.
The police force will be drafted from the City Armed Reserve, City Rapid Action Force, City Security Guards, Rapid Action Force, Task Force, and mounted police teams.
Additional policemen have been deployed at several sensitive locations to prevent any trouble. Any mosques, chillas and dargas, on the procession are covered with cloth by the administration.
Commissioner of Police, VC Sajjanar and Joint Commissioner of Police, Tafseeq Iqbal, had conducted a route inspection two days ago and directed officials to make necessary arrangements.
The main procession will be taken out by the Sri Ramnavami Utsav Committee and a tributary procession will be taken out by MLA Raja Singh from Akashpuri Hanuman temple and will join the main procession on Mangalhat Road.
Around 2 lakh people are expected to participate in the procession that will cover a distance of around seven kilometres.
The highlight of the procession will be the folk dancers and martial art performers who will be coming from across the country.
Raja Singh receives death threats
Earlier this month, that is on March 17, Raja Singh had written to Hyderabad Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar, refusing police protection for the procession saying officers who do not wear Tilak “spoil the atmosphere of the Shobha Yatra”.
He had also alleged that devotees were often lathi-charged by the police, leading to a violent atmosphere in an otherwise peaceful procession.
However, later on the same day, at a Ram Navami volunteer meeting organized at Akashpuri Hanuman Temple in Dhoolpet, Raja Singh claimed that he had received a letter threatening to kill him during the Shobha Yatra.
“The snipers will come to target me. The terrorists will place bombs at two places during the Shobha Yatra. I didn’t inform the police as I am aware the police would not take it seriously,” he had said.
Then on March 22, Raja Singh wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah claiming that he has been receiving death threats repeatedly through phone calls and letters sent to his residence and appealed to the minister to provide security cover for himself and his family.
He said that despite filing multiple complaints with the police, no action has been taken so far and if any harm were to come to his family, he would be forced to take the matter into his own hands.
“If any harm comes to my family or any member of my family because of these people, I will not go to the police again. I will pick up the weapon myself and destroy those responsible. Whatever happens after that will be on the heads of those who ignored my complaints.” he stated in the letter.
