With a congregation of seers, sadhus and Ram bhakts coming together for a dharm sabha, Ayodhya has been turned into a fortress to counter any “untoward incidents by frenzied karsevaks”. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been campaigning nonstop across Madhya Pradesh for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site. It is from his Gorakhpur bastion that 50,000 karsevaks have rushed to the venue ahead of the event. ADG (Law and Order) Anand Kumar said movement around the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi complex is restricted and multiple layers of security are in place across the temple town. Notwithstanding the curfew, organiser the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is upbeat. The outfit's media-in-charge Ambuj Ojha said, “The moment is here- the temple must be built where Ram Lalla is currently installed.”
VHP organisational secretary of Awadh region, Bholendra Singh said, “Crowds will be much more than expected. This will be our last dharm sabha in Ayodhya, now only construction of Ram temple will start.” Shiv Sena activists, led by its chief Uddhav Thackeray, visited the town for two days and offered prayers at the make-shift temple of Ram Lalla. Thackeray demanded that an ordinance be issued to pave the way for construction of the temple. He met seers at Laxman Qila and later performed puja and participated in Saryu aarti.
The visits have definitely intimidated Muslim-dominated localities, where locals are dependent in the security provided. All the areas have been cordoned off by the CRPF and will remain under police and CRPF's vigil till the conclusion of VHP's event. Faizabad administration has deployed special forces for two Muslims litigants in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, Iqbal Ansari and Haji Mahboob, and local cleric Haji Sayyad Ekhlaq.
Meanwhile, it is believed that VHP and Bajrang Dal activists held closed-door meetings with seers and BJP. A UP police spokesperson said, an additional DGP, one deputy inspector general, three senior superintendents of police, 10 additional SPs, 21 deputy Sps, 160 inspectors, 700 constables, 42 companies of PAC, five companies of RAF, anti-terror commandos and drones have been deployed. Security forces also conducted a march on the national highways around Ayodhya.
Govt to wait for SC verdict
Amid rising tensions, BJP president Amit Shah said the government would wait for the Supreme Court to hear the matter in January. “The matter is pending in Supreme Court and let us wait until it is heard,” he said. The statement came as an indication that the government has no current plans to enact a law to help construction of the temple. He, however, did express hope that the SC would rule in favour of a temple and alleged that the Congress had sought postponement of hearing until after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
