Mumbai: Maharashtra Government today
appealed for calm ahead of the September 30 Ayodhya title suit
verdict and put police on high alert to tackle any situation
arising out of the judgement in the decades-old dispute.
Talking to reporters here, Home Minister R R Patil
said the state police have been put on alert and leave of
policemen have been cancelled.
He appealed for peace and said people should refrain
from hurting the sentiments of other communities.
"A repeat of 1992-93 (when communal riots had broken
out in the metropolis in the wake of demolition of Babri
Mosque) has to be avoided. Maharashtra is a progressive state
and we have to guard that image," he said.
Maintaining that proper security arrangements had been
put in place, Patil said "leave of police personnel have been
cancelled.
Chief Secretary J P Dange said 2.5 lakh security
personnel will be deployed across the state. These include
eight companies of CRPF (around 800 personnel) and 25,000 Home
Guards.
-PTI
