Police personnel seen during a flag march on the eve of the ‘Dussehra’ festival, in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, on October. 1, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday (October 2, 2025) ordered the suspension of internet services in Bareilly for 48 hours to maintain law and order in view of Dussehra festivities amid police conducting strict vigil across districts in the State to prevent any untoward incident. Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) carried out flag march in multiple districts along with drone surveillance.
“It’s Vijaya Dashami today. We are conducting this flag march to ensure women’s safety. Patrolling is being done. Security arrangements have been made,” said Anshika Verma, Superintendent of Police (SP), South, Bareilly.
The administration added that additional personnel from Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed across Bareilly and some other sensitive districts to prevent any flare-up during the festive period.
“…I, Gaurav Dayal, Secretary, Home Department Uttar Pradesh hereby promulgate this notification under the provision of Section 7 of Indian Telegraph Act 1885 read with Sub-rule-1 of rule-2 of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017, to suspend the following types of telecom services for the next 48 hrs. beginning from 15:00 Hrs. on 02.10.2025 to 15:00 Hrs. on 04.10.2025; in the district Bareilly (U.P.),” reads an official government order.
The police vigilance comes amid Bareilly witnessing violence on September 26 after an Islamic cleric announced a sit-in protest in response to alleged instances of derogatory remarks against the Prophet in different parts of the country, including Shahjahanpur and after the controversy over “I Love Muhammad” posters, during a Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession in Kanpur, when the poster resulted in Kanpur police registering cases against 24 people, amid objections from right-wing Hindu groups over a “deviation from tradition”.
Published – October 02, 2025 11:31 am IST