The upcoming festival of Holi has started causing considerable anxiety in the government, following the possibility of caste tensions and violence during the festival.
Intelligence inputs have informed the state government that following the announcement of election results on Tuesday, poll rivalry could lead to large-scale violence during Holi.
“The fear of violence is heightened keeping in mind the belligerent mood of the Samajwadi Party activists following the exit poll results that names the party as a front runner for government formation. The Samajwadis are simply waiting to avenge the humiliation they have faced in the BSP regime and now with the BSP on its way out, Holi could be used to settle scores,” said a source in the state intelligence wing.
To make matters worse, the market is flooded with sprinklers that come in shapes of various political party symbols. From the elephant (BSP symbol) to the cycle (SP) to the lotus (BJP) and the palm (Congress), sprinklers are available in all these shapes.
A district official said, “These sprinklers are rather dangerous and could lead to tensions if someone tramples on them or breaks them. We are trying to convince traders to avoid selling such sprinklers but since there is a great demand for these, no one is listening and banning the sale is also not a good option.”
Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the state government has beefed up security on Holi.