Barabanki, 13 June (HS): The annual

four-day Urs at the famed shrine of Syed Shakeel Baba in Phoolpur village,

Surajganj (Barabanki) in Uttar Pradesh, which has been celebrated annually for

the previous 75 years beginning June 10, has been canceled this year. Following

last year's deadly conflict between two factions during the festival,

authorities cited worries about law and order as the basis for the decision. The

police administration rejected authorization for the religious assembly, afraid

that the turmoil might occur again.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police Vikas Chandra Tripathi,

the previous year's episode entailed a scuffle between shops and members of the

public that resulted in the filing of a FIR.

In light of this, a comprehensive police report was filed to the

district administration, advising against giving permission.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate

Viveksheel acted on the police complaint and formally refused permission to the

organizing committee. The fair and Urs have typically attracted enormous

people, but this year, safety precautions have taken precedent. This is hardly the first occurrence of such

restrictions. Previously, the

authorities had banned the annual Urs at the Dargah of Syed Salar Sahu Ghazi in

Satrikh, Barabanki, and similar moves were taken in Bahraich and Sambhal, where

Salar Ghazi festivals were prohibited due to public safety concerns.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi