New Delhi: The Special Branch of Delhi Police has issued a set of instructions ahead of the Kanwar Yatra, which will arrive in the national capital on July 20, to ensure smooth flow of pilgrims from other states into the city.Some of those instructions issued to the district police include no blacksmiths on the Kanwar Yatra route as they eat “non-vegetarian food and leave the bones behind”; close monitoring of the movement of Kanwariyas through mixed religion areas; strict check on fake posts on social media which may be a provocation for violence since Kanwariyas carry “trishuls, talwars, lathis, rods, hockey sticks, baseball bats and iron chains,” the Indian Express reported.The instructions also said that since religious processions passing through mixed population areas has become a sensitive matter, even petty issues should be handled in a professional manner. It added that all calls and complaints with a “communal” angle should be dealt with efficiently.Sources told IE that such instructions indicate the apprehension that even a small incident could lead to a big law-and-order issue.“The devotees are mostly young and gather quickly on slight provocation. It [the input by police] said that even a minor incident can create an adverse law and order situation,” the source told the daily.According to Hindustan Times, more than 2,000 Delhi traffic police personnel will be deployed at various routes, especially those bordering Uttar Pradesh, that will be used by Kanwariyas.In 2018, a mob of agitated kanwariya pilgrims in West Delhi’s Moti Nagar vandalised a car that had brushed past one of them on the congested road. During the heated argument, the driver’s companion slapped a pilgrim, following which they vandalised the car. Surprisingly, this incident happened in the presence of two police officers, as per videos on social media.Also read: Given the State of Indian Muslims Today, the Possibility of Radicalisation Cannot Be Ruled OutIn another incident, pilgrims on the Kanwar Yatra in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr vandalised a police emergency vehicle, which was deployed to ensure their safety.The Uttar Pradesh police this year has stationed 151 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary and 11 companies of paramilitary forces across the state to ensure peace during the Kanwar Yatra.Apart from beefing up traffic security measures, the police have flagged another concern: fake social media posts.“The input states that anti-social elements sometimes circulate fake social media posts to provoke a particular community and push them to violate the law. It says that since the Kanwar Yatra is a major event for Hindu devotees, the posts can have serious law and order implications, and that there is a need to keep a close watch on what is shared,” sources told IE.It further pointed out that Kanwariyas carry sharp and dangerous instruments like trishuls, talwars, lathis, rods, hockey sticks, baseball bats and iron chains with them along with gas cylinders on vehicles.The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva’s devotees that takes place during the Hindu month of Saawan. It began on July 14 after a gap of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The yatra will end on July 26 this year.The story of Kanwar Yatra is considered one of the most important events in Hindu mythology. It traces back to the event of Samudra Manthan, or churning of the ocean, when Lord Shiva had to drink poison to get Amrit (the elixir of life) for other gods.As part of their journey, Kanwariyas, or devotees of Lord Shiva, collect water from the Ganga river at Haridwar, Uttarakhand to offer at Shiva temples in their areas on their route.