The Uttar Pradesh Police have intensified security in parts of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh and imposed more traffic curbs after a vehicle was vandalised in Muradnagar by Kanwariyas after it allegedly hit some of the devotees, an official told news agency PTI on Sunday.

The incident which took place on Saturday near Rawali Road in Muradnagar resulted in the Kanwariyas blocking a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut expressway creating commotion, according to the official.

Traffic was resumed only after police personnel pacified the Kanwariyas and provided them with holy Ganga water kept in reserve at a police station, reported PTI.

Adjacent to Rawali road, two companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed at the Ganga canal bridge of Muradnagar town. Security has been beefed up in other districts as well considering the sensitive nature of the situation, said Ghaziabad Commissioner of Police Ajay Kumar Mishra reported PTI.

On Saturday, a car owned by Naubahar Singh (40), a native of Muradnagar allegedly hit some Kanwariyas, the ‘kanwar’ (pot) being carried by one of them. This resulted in the driver getting attacked and the car allegedly vandalised and overturned by the devotees, Mishra said. The owner was in the car when the incident took place.

Mishra added that the driver was allegedly intoxicated and driving on the wrong side of the road.

The Ghaziabad CP said, “Arrangements have been made to prevent entry of vehicle on the road from Kadrabad village of Modinagar to every entry point of Ghaziabad district to Meerut road trisection, Mohan nagar, Loni road, Link road, UP-Delhi border up to Dilshad garden.”

The Kanwar Yatra began on the first day of Sawan (Shravan) month on July 22 and will end on August 2. Traffic regulations have been imposed in Delhi NCR with Noida traffic police restricting two of the four lanes between Okhla Barrage and Okhla Bird Sanctuary from July 28 to August 4 to ensure safe passage for Kanwar Yatra pilgrims.

The Uttar Pradesh police have announced the closure of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway for heavy vehicles. Vehicles will be diverted until 8 pm on August 5.

(with inputs from news agencies)