As per an Indian Express report, the Police in Uttar Pradesh has issued ‘Red Cards’ to ‘troublemakers’ to ensure a peaceful Muharram. The red cards carry do’s and do not’s for the processions along with information on the criminal charges that can be invoked should the instructions provided on them are violated. The cards also inform the people, who are suspected to foment trouble, of the quantum of sentence reserved for violations.
The red cards issued prohibit creating rumours against any community, use of objectionable words against any religion and warn against hindrance to Muharram processions. The cards also mandate that the same old routes be used for the ‘tazia’ and those participating in processions are also prohibited from carrying weapons as section 144 of the CrPC is in force.
In Bareilly, 2000 people have been issued the red cards. In Amroha, the Police issued the red cards to 1200 local residents. In Sambhal, 750 people have been issued the cards. The Police stated that the red cards were issued to people irrespective of their caste and religion if they were suspected to be troublemakers. The cards were issued 10 days before the processions began on the 12th of September.
“If anyone is found violating the directives, legal action will be taken against them,” said Additional Superintendent of Police, Sambhal, Pankaj Kumar Pandey. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Bareilly (Rural), Dr Satish Kumar said, “The red card notices were issued to put psychological pressure on nuisance creators. This is a kind of preventive measure taken by police.”