Religious preachers join police as peace ambassadors in Nagpur

Nagpur: Around 41 dharma gurus or religious preachers have joined hands with the police department to create communal harmony in society, which has seen a rift as a result of the Pahalgam terror attack last week. With the city already witnessing riots on March 17, the cops in different zones are gearing up to address the polarization and nurture brotherhood along with better vigilance.
On Saturday, religious preachers of different communities from Sakkardara, Beltarodi, Nandanvan, Hudkeshwar, Imambada, and Wathoda came on a common platform for a dialogue with the police under the leadership of Zonal DCP Rashmitha Rao. They vowed to work towards peaceful cohabitation in society and ensure no communal tensions build up. Condemning the terror attack, the religious preachers pointed out they would remain alert and inform the police regarding any hate speech, rumour-mongering, and attempts to provoke other communities within their followers.
DCP Rao, who was accompanied by ACP Narendra Hiware, started a WhatsApp group with the religious preachers for exchanging information and sharing updates from different communities. The cops also urged the religious preachers to ensure no religious or other such events are organised without seeking permission from the police department. Rao also urged the community leaders to ensure they proactively intervene to diffuse any communal tension and extend cooperation to the police to tackle any emergency situation.
Senior inspector Mukund Kawade of Beltarodi police station, who was present at the meeting, stated that the religious preachers would be invited every three months to share their updates with the police regarding the current situation in the different communities.