Aligarh district magistrate (DM) said precautionary measures taken in the wake of mass conversion ceremony on Christmas will remain intact till 25 December despite saffron party's decision to cancel the event.
An Uttar Pradesh-based Hindutva group, Dharam Jagaran Samiti, called off the "ghar wapsi" ceremony on Tuesday, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned BJP MPs against crossing the "Lakshman rekha".
Although the mass conversion event has been cancelled, the district authorities do not want to take any risk by lifting the vigilance arrangements as the ceremony organisers have not given in writing their decision to call off the event.
"The organisers of this program had neither sought permission in writing for holding this programme nor have they given anything in writing regarding its cancellation. We are therefore maintaining our vigilance," Daily News & Analysis quoted DM Abhishek Prakash as saying.
Prakash said the Agra mass conversion and announcement of more of such events across UP has raised an issue of law and order situation in the state. Therefore, they want to ensure that no such events create any disturbances in the coming days.
"From the very beginning, we had made it clear that we are not going into the technicalities of granting permission for conversion or reconversion," Prakash said.
"Our contention is that after the Agra mass reconversion fallout, this had become an issue of law and order for the state. We cannot allow any programme which would spread ill-will even if it is held in a private space," he added.
BJP leader Yogi Adityanath had announced last week that they will hold a conversion ceremony where Christians and Muslims will be reconverted to Hinduism in Aligarh on 25 December.
However, the Hindutva group's president of the state Satya Prakash Nauman said "proposed 'ghar wapsi' (conversion ceremony) planned for December 25 has been called off," but did not mention the reason for the cancellation.
