The Shahi Jama Masjid being covered in tarpaulin as prevention against possible holi colour ahead of the celebration, in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on March 12, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Uttar Pradesh police remain on high alert on Thursday (March 13, 2025) on the eve of the festival of Holi coinciding with the Friday congregation during Ramzan with flag marches being conducted along with additional deployment of personnel in many districts.

In at least five sensitive districts, namely Sambhal, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Bijnor, and Aligarh some mosques have been covered with tarpaulin to protect from celebratory colour. In Shahjahanpur, at least two dozen mosques have been covered with tarpaulin and the police conducted a flag march in sensitive areas with over 500 police personnel deployed from other districts.

In Bareilly, senior district police officials including Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), District Magistrate (DM) led the flag march in localities failing under Kotwali, Qila and Baradari police station limits.

“In view of upcoming festivals, the police conducted flag march in main markets and engaged in dialogue with locals,” a statement from Bareilly police reads. Likewise, police conducted a march in Meerut with 63 locations marked as sensitive where cluster mobile units of police will be active to prevent any untoward incident. Similarly, 10 mosques have been covered in Sambhal, three in Aligarh for Holi.

In the State capital, Lucknow police personnel in large numbers were engaged in patrolling and drone cameras were put in place to maintain law and order and keep check on anti-social elements. Prominent Muslim clerics in U.P. have also revised the timings for Friday prayers, which will now be held after 2 p.m.

Earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had reviewed development projects and law and order at the Circuit House in Varanasi on Wednesday evening emphasising on maintaining peace and harmony during Holi celebrations and instructing officials to enforce permanent noise control measures for loudspeakers at religious places and to strictly prohibit high-volume DJs.