INDIA, Sep 29 (AP): Ahead of the Allahabad High Court`s judgement on the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case on Thursday, an alert has been sounded across Uttar Pradesh with security in and around the disputed site tightened and intensive searches being carried out in Faizabad district.
The security forces are carrying out intensive searches on people entering into Ayodhya district, officials said. The intelligence units have also been put on high alert to monitor movement and activities of anti-social elements.
“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 on Wednesday.
As a preventive measure aerial survey, including at night, of sensitive places, including Ram Janmbhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, he said.
All the security personnel deployed in Ayodhya and Faizabad have been equipped with tear gas shells and rubber bullets.
Gazetted officers of various government departments also been asked to assist in policing. They have also been provided with rubber bullets and tear gas shells.
Helicopters have been kept on alert and asked to keep a vigil on activities of mischievous elements, sources said.
Meanwhile, three dog squads, four bomb disposal squads, five anti-sabotage teams and fire tenders have also been deployed at strategic points in the twin temple towns.
Twenty companies of CRPF has been deployed for the inner security of the Ram Janmbhoomi complex, besides 38 other companies of police and PAC for the twin towns and 16 other companies for the rural areas, a senior police official said.
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 incharge 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 homeguards and 20,000 Prantiya Rakshak Dal personnel along with 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.
Meanwhile, in Kanpur, prohibitory orders have been enforced even as district administration has engaged 1,400 retired defence officers to watch out against rumour mongering ahead of the verdict.
A strict vigil is being maintained against firecracker manufacturers.
Directives have been issued to police stations to keep a check on various printing presses in their area.
Maya creating atmosphere of fear: Mulayam
Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav charged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati with creating “unnecessary hype” over security arrangements ahead of the pronouncement of the Ayodhya verdict.
“Nobody is thinking of creating any disturbance and yet the state government has made massive deployment of force all over the state leading to unnecessary tension”, Yadav said at a press conference in Lucknow.
“Aisa mahaul banaya hai ki kuch na hota ho to ho jaye (such an atmosphere has been created that something would happen even though nothing appears to be on the cards),” he said accusing the state government for creating an atmosphere of “fear” ahead of the verdict.
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister refused to take any question on the pronouncement of the verdict tomorrow, saying he would not like to comment on the functioning of the judiciary.
The Samajwadi Party has full faith in the judiciary and hopes the verdict would be acceptable to all, Yadav said.
He recalled that the state SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had already made an appeal to maintain peace after the pronouncement of the verdict.
Akhilesh Yadav had asked his party MPs, MLAs and other leaders to help maintain peace and order.
Police tighten security in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: Elaborate security arrangements have been made in Kerala as a precautionary measure ahead of the Allahabad High Court`s verdict.
Over 30,000 police personnel, including rapid action, anti-sabotage and strike forces and bomb squad, would be deployed from midnight tonight across the state, police said.
A high-level meeting of top police officials will be held later in the evening to review the situation.
Prohibitory orders under the Kerala Police Act have already been promulgated for the next two days in Kozhikode, Kannur and Alappuzha districts. Police said the restrictions were also likely to be extended to other districts by evening, if necessary.
Intelligence Bureau had alerted the state police to take necessary security measures to prevent extremist outfits from trying to spark trouble after the verdict.
Police would tighten security around places of worship, airports, railway stations and public places, sources said.
MP Govt steps up security
Bhopal: Heavy security arrangements have been made by Madhya Pradesh government in wake of the Ayodhya title suits on Thursday.
Arrangements have been made to ensure that there is no untoward incident after the verdict in the decades-old case, Inspector General (law & order and security) Ashok Kumar Soni said.
Sensitive areas had been identified and additional police force have been deployed there, he said.
These areas include the Malwa region and some places around the Jabalpur and Bhopal Belt, the officer said.
Flag marches were being staged in some places to make the people aware of the arrangements being made to deal with any possible law and order problem, Soni added.
Goa`s north district under Section 144
Panaji: Goa government has imposed Section 144 in the northern district of the state stating that there could be law and order problem in the area in view of the Ayodhya verdict.
Section 144 of CrPc (Power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) will be in force from 12 am on September 30, 2010 to October 03, 2010, a press release issued by the state government said.
“There is every possibility of Law and Order problem and disturbance of breach of peace and tranquillity in north Goa district in view of the court verdict in Ayodhya case,” the note issued by Director of Information and Publicity stated.
The state government has already initiated peace committee meetings in the entire state to ensure that there is no communal violence in the district.
During the enforcement of this order, assembly and collection of five or more persons taking out or organising procession, carrying of fire arms or weapons, use of loudspeakers, shouting of slogans, burning of fire crackers in public places are prohibited in the whole of north Goa district, the release said.
However, this order will not ban marriage ceremony, funeral procession and people attending religious service,” it added.
Buddhadeb appeals for peace
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony.
“In the past there has been no unwanted situation and in the present scenario also, I hope that no such situation will occur here. I appeal to all to maintain peace,” Bhattacharjee told reporters here after a meeting with senior officials.
The CM held discussions with the Commissioner of Kolkata Police and the state police.
The meeting to review security arrangements in view of the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court order was attended by the chief secretary, home secretary, director general of police and the commissioner of Kolkata Police.
“18 police stations in Kolkata Police area have been declared sensitive,” Police Commissioner Goutam Mohan Chakraborti said.
There will be adequate forces at all police stations, he said.
Tight vigil being maintained in TN
Chennai: Tight vigil is being maintained in Tamil Nadu and extra forces have been deployed in sensitive cities like Coimbatore and Tirunelveli ahead of the verdict, a top police official said.
“The entire state police of about one lakh has been mobilised and we are deploying additional forces at hypersensitive places such as Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Vellore and Hosur among others,” ADGP (Law and Order) K Radhakrishnan said.
Security had been stepped up at places such as bus stands and religious places, he said, adding individuals trying to disrupt normalcy tomorrow will be dealt strictly.
“The police and administration have made all arrangements to ensure there is no untoward incidents. Peace will be maintained,” he added.
Protests, victory marches banned in Karnataka
Bangalore: The Karnataka government has banned protests, demonstrations and processions to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state.
State Home Minister R Ashoka reviewed the situation on Wednesday with Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police in districts through video-conferencing and directed them to take all steps to maintain law and order.
“Protests, demonstrations, processions and victory marches have been banned (after the verdict),” said Ashoka, who discussed security measures with Home Secretary K M Shivakumar, DGP Ajai Kumar Singh, ADGP (Law & Order) A R Infant, Bangalore City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari and IGP (Intelligence) Gopal B Hosur.
Schools and colleges would remain closed for two days from on Thursday, while liquor shops would be shut for 24 hours from six am tomorrow. Leave requests from police officials would not be entertained.
Officials said personnel from police, home guards, Karnataka State Reserve Police, district armed reserve and city armed reserve will be deployed on duty in good strength.
The Centre, however, has turned down Karnataka`s request to send RAF personnel as their presence was required elsewhere in the country, particularly northern parts, they said.
Ashoka and Singh urged the media to report with restraint and not to telecast any inflammatory speeches and provocative old clippings.
Around 100-150 video cameras would be used in each district, the home minister said. District authorities would hold peace meetings with leaders of both communities, he added.
Security beefed up in Rajasthan
Jaipur: Rajasthan Police alerted its senior officers in all the 33 districts to ensure public order, peace and harmony. Internal security has been beefed up and intelligence agencies have been alerted to avert crisis or meet any exigency that may arise after Thursday`s verdict by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh said.
Around 60 top officials, including ADGs, IG and SPs, have been deployed in parts of the state, Singh added.
Over 20,000 personnel of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC), Special Task Force (STF) and Quick Reaction Team (QRT), besides intelligence personnel and jawans in plain clothes have been deployed at all sensitive and religious places.
Tight security has been put in place at airports, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals, hospitals and government buildings, Singh said.
Meanwhile in the state capital, prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC have been promulgated as a precautionary measure, IGP-Jaipur range-I Mr B L Soni said.
Twenty-five mobile magistrates have been deployed inside the walled city and in the outskirts.
Peace committees of all religions have been holding talks with people in sensitive areas urging them to respect the court verdict in the 60-year-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, whatever it may be, the IGP said.
Orissa sounds alert ahead of Ayodhya verdict
Bhubaneswar: Orissa government on Wednesday sounded an alert across the state. “We have directed all district magistrates and Superintendent of Police to remain alert to the situation,” Chief minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters here.
The government had identified sensitive places and additional police force were being deployed there, he said.
“We have directed the district administrations to deal with situations firmly,” Home Secretary U N Behera said.
Though Orissa remained peaceful even during the riots in 1992 after the Ayodhya demolition, the government did not want to take any chance this time, a senior official said.
Among the places identified as sensitive were Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapara, Jajpur, officials said.