Centre has asked all states to be extra vigilant against attempts by terrorists and subversive elements during the festive season.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the Home Ministry on Monday issued a nation-wide advisory asking states to deploy additional forces at public places and religious sites to foil any untoward incident.
Sources said the police of metro cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have been specially asked to be extra vigilant.
The states have also been asked to be alert during the festivals over the provocative sloganeering, especially near religious places.
The advisory was issued after intelligence inputs suggested that Pakistan-based terrorist groups may try to disrupt peace in vulnerable areas in the wake of surgical strikes by Indian army against terror launch pads across LoC.
The states were also asked to be alert during the festivals as provocative sloganeering, especially near mosques and dargahs, besides places where idols have been installed.
The Centre said observance of festivals at disputed places, processions through non-traditional routes and forcible collection of donations, besides eveteasing often trigger communal tensions.
Besides, crowded pandals and immersion processions also remain soft targets for saboteurs. Special watch on pandals, procession routes and venues of immersion would be desirable to prevent communal incidents and other law and order problems, the advisory said.
In the recent past, there have been incidents of campaigns by right wing Hindu activists against cow slaughter leading to communal tension. Sacrifice of cattle in public and non-traditional places has also triggered communal incidents.
