Days after it witnessed arson and riots, Aurangabad, now renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, will witness two massive rallies; the one by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the ruling BJP's 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatra'.
Violence erupted last week amid Ram Navami celebrations in Aurangabad, a culmination of the tense situations prevailing in the city since its renaming to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in February.
Police said they ensured tight security arrangements to ensure both events pass off without any untoward incident.
While the MVA rally will be held on Sunday evening at Marathwada Sanskrutik Mandal ground, the 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' will begin from a chowk named after the late Hindutva ideologue, just a kilometre away from the MVA rally site.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar and Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole will speak at the MVA rally, expected to be the coalition's show of strength. "The preparations for the rally are complete. The ground will be filled to capacity and we have also made arrangements to set up equipment for people outside the venue to hear the speeches," Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Subhash Desai said after inspecting the site on Saturday.
He added that the city was now peaceful and the earlier incidents will have no impact on the rally. The MVA plans to conduct five to six such rallies will be held across the state.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve have also his party functionaries to assemble for the rally calmly and peacefully as there may be an attempt to cause friction among communities.
The BJP's yatra, held in honour of Savarkar and to oppose routine attacks on him by the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, will cover all three Assembly seats in the city and culminate at Ahilyabai Holkar Chowk.
"The routes and locations of rally and yatra are different. We will deploy nearly 300 policemen for both events to ensure they take place smoothly," Deputy Commissioner of Police Deepak Girhe said told PTI.
At least 12 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured after a mob of around 500 people hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles. The clashes broke between two groups near the Ram temple in Kiradpura locality of Aurangabad on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.
As many as seven persons have been arrested following the mob attack, while an injured man died in hospital.
The intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday saw rioting and arson in the city's Kiradpura area amid Ram Navami, leaving one person dead, several policemen injured and property, including vehicles, damaged and gutted.
(With inputs from PTI)