Ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janam Bhoomi-Babri masjid title dispute on Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh government pulled out all the stops to ensure peace in Ayodhya, the site of the row.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath was at the police control room in Lucknow to review the security scenario in the state.
Ayodhya itself has turned into a fortress with razor wire barricades and heavy security deployment.
“Sixty companies of paramilitary force, RPF and PAC and 1200 police constables, 250 Sub-inspectors, 20 Deputy SPs and two SPs have been deployed. Double layer barricading, public address system, 35 CCTVs and 10 drones deployed for security surveillance,” ANI quoted UP’s Additional Director General of Police Ashutosh Pandey as saying.
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) staged a flag march near Hanuman Gadi temple in Ayodhya in the morning although the police claimed that life was normal in the town.
“Devotees are visiting the temple of Shri Ram Lalla. There are no restrictions on visiting the temple. All markets are open, the situation is completely normal,” Pandey said.
UP Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar ‘Lallu’ has appealed to people not to take the verdict as victory or defeat. Appealed for peace and upholding of the Constitution.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took to Twitter to appeal for calm. “Whatever the decision of the court in this moment, we all have the responsibility to maintain the thousands of years old tradition of unity, social harmony and mutual love of the country,” she tweeted in Hindi.
President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad Mahant Narendra Giri also appealed to all for maintaining peace after the judgment while expressing hope that the judgment will be in favor of Ram Janamabhoomi.
