Security stepped up ahead of Ayodhya verdict

Lucknow/New Delhi: A day before Allahabad High Court's verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday said the government didn't foresee any problems after the announcement of the court decision. Meanwhile, the UP administration ordered closure of all liquor vends and shops selling fireworks.

"India has moved on, especially the people who were born after 1992 (when Babri Masjid at the disputed site was razed by Hindu fanatics) have a different view. I don't foresee any problem with the judgment," Chidambaram told reporters here.
The home minister claimed that the government had taken "adequate" security measures to thwart any trouble after the Lucknow bench of the high court delivers its judgment Thursday.
"I hope peace and communal harmony will be maintained. The central government has made adequate security arrangements... There are 1.90 lakh policemen from all formations in Uttar Pradesh and I think 1.90 lakh is more than enough to maintain law and order," he said.

In his appeal for peace, Chidambaram said the high court ruling should be seen as an end of the legal process.
Any party to the dispute that feels dissatisfied with the verdict can immediately approach the Supreme Court to challenge the high court verdict, he said.
No liquor, no fireworks on Ayodhya judgment day
Besides throwing a security net around the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, the administration here Wednesday ordered closure of all liquor vends and shops selling fireworks ahead of the much-awaited Ayodhya verdict Thursday.

"While prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPc are already in force, banning assembly of ffive of more people, we have also taken a decision to order closure of all liquor shops with effect from Wednesday evening, while shops dealing in fireworks have already been closed," Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajiv Krishna said at a press conference here.
"The idea behind the move was to prevent any kind of manifestation of rejoicing by people in the wake of the expected verdict," he said. "Anyone found violating the orders would be liable to stern punitive action...no one would be spared," Krishna warned.

Besides, as a preventive measure, as many as 1,450 people have been bound down with a written undertaking not to indulge in any activity that could provoke or incite others, while licenced weapons of 125 people have been seized.
Processions of all kinds have also been banned though schools, colleges and markets will remain open.
Uttar Pradesh on high alert
"An alert has been sounded across the state and Chief Minister Mayawati has directed the administrative and police officers in all districts to remain vigilant," a senior official said here on Wednesday.
As a preventive measure aerial survey, including at night, of sensitive places, including Ram Janambhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, he said.

Security has been stepped up further at important installations across the state, including the High Courts.
Additional companies of CRPF have been deployed in and around the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

The security at both Allahabad and Lucknow bench of the High Court has been stepped up keeping in view of the judgement tomorrow, sources said.
For security of Lucknow bench of the High Court, a Superintendent of Police, six Additional SP, 22 deputy SP, 144 sub inspectors, 104 head constables, 807 constables and two companies of PAC (about 200 personnel) had been deployed.
This would be in addition to central forces like CRPF and RAF, they said.
Similarly, for Allahabad HC, two ASPs, 16 DSPs, six inspectors, 30 Sub inspectors, 200 constables, four companies of PAC had been deployed.

On the administrative front, six additional district magistrates and 20 sub-divisional magistrates have been posted in Lucknow, while an ADM and 15 SDMs have been posted in Allahabad to keep an eye on the situation.
Security of the three High Court judges had already been beefed up in view of the verdict.
One platoon of PAC (about 20 personnel), five CRPF personnel have been deployed at residence of all the three judges, besides an escort and pilot car and one PSO each have also been provided to them," a senior officer said.

A deputy SP rank officer has been made in charge of the judges security, he added.
Borders with adjoining Nepal and Uttarakhand have been sealed and a strict vigil was being maintained on all those coming to the state from these sides.

The security forces had already staged flag marches in all the sensitive places and districts, including Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura, in the state and prohibitory orders had been issued, sources said.
As a preventive measure, all liquor and firecrackers shops would remain closed tomorrow, sources said.

As many as 52 companies of the CPMF, 150 companies of the PAC, over 80,000 home guards and 20,000 prantiya rakshak dal personnel alongwith nearly 80,000 civil police had been deployed for security, sources said.
The government has already identified 25 districts of the state as sensitive and 19 others as hyper-sensitive.

These districts include Agra, Allahabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Bahraich, Bulandshahr, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Kanpur city, Meerut, Moradabad, Mau, Varanasi, Faizabad, Mathura, Bijnore, Muzaffarnagar and Lucknow.
Source: PTI