Ayodhya turns into virtual fort ahead of VHP, Shiv Sena progs

Ayodhya:The temple city of Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Ram, has turned into a fortress with deployment of over 70,000 security personnel for the proposed VHP's 'dharam sabha' on Sunday and visit of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thakre from Saturday.

With the UP government committed to enforcing the guidelines of the Supreme Court in maintaining security in the disputed area and to maintain law and order, senior state officials held a meeting in the state capital on Thursday night to assess the situation.

In order to  comply with the Supreme court's order and to maintain law and order, the UP government has  made elaborate security arrangements in the temple town with deployment of anti-terror squads, additional police and para military forces, including the RAF, and also use drone cameras to monitor the crowd.

The state has clearly said that no mass movement would be allowed towards the Ram Lalla site.Section 144 has already been clamped in Ayodhya and no activity would be allowed without permission of the district administration.

Two senior IPS officer-- ADG technical Ashutosh Pandey and DIG, Jhansi Range Subhash Singh Baghel has been rushed to Ayodhya to supervise the security. While the ADG has been given the charge of  blue and yellow zone of the disputed area, the DIG will look into the red zone. The ADG will also be the in-charge of the security during the Shiv Sena programme and the DIG for the VHP's dharam Sabha.

A senior official said here on Friday that  around 48 companies of PAC have been rushed to Ayodhya, along with  several companies of RAF. In Ayodhya, around ten companies of PAC and other security agencies stay round the year for protecting the disputed area which is called blue, yellow and red zones. 

UP DGP O P Singh has also deployed five Superintendent of Police (SP) rank officers in Ayodhya along with  15 ASPs and  19 DSPs. The entire Ayodhya has been divided into eight zones and 16 sectors which will be headed by a magistrate and an ASP and DSP rank police officers.

While VHP, in support of the RSS, would hold a 'dharam sabha' to demand a legislation on the early construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site on November 25, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thakre would be visiting the city for two days starting November 24.

VHP had already announced that this would be the last 'dharam sabha' before commencement of  the construction of the Ram temple. 

The VHP has claimed that over one lakh people, including saints and sadhus, would attend the 'dharam sabha', while around 5,000 people mostly from Maharashtra would accompany the Shiv Sena chief in Ayodhya.The VHP event will be held at Baade Bhaktmal ground on the Parikarma marg.

Shiv Sena will not hold any big programme but Uddhav Thakre would be meeting the saints, attending the Saryu Aarti and visiting the Ram Lalla makeshift temple in the disputed site during his two days stay. Several Shiv Sena MPs and legislators have already reached Lucknow and Ayodhya.

Two special trains carrying Shiv Sainiks would be reaching Ayodhya tonight.(UNI)

VHP claims over 2.5 lakh people to attend Dharam Sabha in Ayodhya: UP rushed more senior IPS officers

Ayodhya:The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will organize a Dharam Sabha on Sunday to demand legislation for construction of Ram Temple. The Dharma sabha has invoked huge response .

Earlier, VHP claimed that one lakh people would attend the Dharam Sabha but now they are expecting more than 2.5 lakh people.The number seems to have doubled.

VHP, Awadh Prant organising secretary Bholendra Jee  said in a statement that there is much enthusiasm  among the Ram bhakts and more than 2.5 lakh people would be attending  the religious gathering to demand early construction of the Ram Temple.He said that after staying locked for 36 years from 1950 to 1985 and then 25 years for the high court to decide in 2010 and still Supreme court just defer the case in two minutes after keeping pending it for 8 years. 

"It is unfortunate  that for the past 33 years Ram Lalla is staying under the tent. Now we will not wait further,  " he said.He said witnessing huge turnout on the Dharam Sabha, all arrangements have been made to control crowd and even 15 parking places have been made.

Meanwhile, UP police has rushed more security forces in Ayodhya expecting unprecedented crowd in the Dharam Sabha. Now a total of 5 IPS have been rushed to Ayodhya  , with 3 more sent tonight. 

Earlier,  ADG Ashutosh Pandey and DIG Subhash Singh Baghel were sent to Ayodhya but now three more IPS Rajesh Pandey , Vaviah Krishna and Akhilesh Chowrasia have been rushed  there. 

Official sources here that the government has  also rushed  10 ASPs, 21 DSPs, 160 Inspectors, 700 Constables, 42 Companies of PAC, 5 Companies of RAF to maintain kaw and order.

 Besides ATS Commandos and Drone Cameras have been deployed in Ayodhya for maintaining L&O, sources said. (UNI)